Judicate West, one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services, has added Judge David L. Belz, formerly with the Orange County Superior Court, to its roster of neutrals. Judge Belz is based in the Santa Ana office and available throughout Southern California as a mediator, arbitrator, and private judge.
“Judge Belz’s extensive experience as a trial lawyer and 15 years as a bench officer presiding over family law and probate matters has given him a keen insight into assessing the strengths and weaknesses of cases. He strongly believes, with few exceptions, that every case can and should settle, and he has the requisite experience to guide any dispute, no matter how sensitive, to resolution,” said Var Fox, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of Judicate West. “Judge Belz was a longtime Judicate West client before becoming a judge, and we look forward to working with him as a neutral. He is a first-class person with a sterling reputation and is dedicated to serving with integrity and humility. He will fit right in with the Judicate West family.”
Judge Belz was appointed to the Orange County Superior Court by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009. Nine months after his appointment he was assigned to family court where he spent five years of his judicial tenure in the family law division, where he handled a wide variety of family law matters. In his nine years on the probate panel, Judge Belz handled trust, probate, guardianship and conservatorship trials. He was tasked with handling complex, long-cause trust trials and, ultimately, presided over 88 such trials. Prior to his bench appointment, Judge Belz spent 32 years in private practice, trying a wide assortment of personal injury cases to verdict in both state and federal courts. Throughout his legal career, including during his tenure as a trial attorney, he has handled several hundred mediations.
Actively involved in judicial education, Judge Belz served on the family law and probate law committees for the Judicial Council’s Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER). Since 2011, he has been a member of the teaching faculty for the five-day primary assignment course for judges newly assigned to both family and probate courtrooms. In 2020, Judge Belz was appointed by California Supreme Court Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye to serve on the Judicial Council’s Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee.
Judge Belz served two stints on the board of directors for the Orange County Trial Lawyers, from 1990-1994 and 1999-2009. He earned his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law (1975) and his B.S. from California State University, Fullerton (1972). He received mediation training from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law (2000).
Related Articles:
Daily Journal - Retired Orange County Judge Joins Judicate West (Subscription Required)
Orange County Bar Association - OCBA Member Judge David L. Belz Joins Judicate West
