Hon. John M. True, III (Ret.) and the Leonard Carder Law Firm Launch New ADR Practice
Oakland, CA (PRWEB) March 02, 2015 -- Retired Alameda Superior Court Judge John M. True, III (Ret.) today announced that he has rejoined the Leonard Carder law firm. Together, they will open a new mediation and arbitration practice in a brand new ADR Center located at the firm’s Oakland office. True brings a deep interest and experience in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to this new role and a wealth of experience from five decades in the law, including his most recent post as a Superior Court Judge in Alameda County. More information can be found at TrueADR.com.
“While I recently retired from the bench, I have not retired from the practice of the law,” said Hon. John M. True, III (Ret.). “I am dedicated to finding solutions for even the most complex issues. By launching the ADR practice at Leonard Carder, I can bring a wealth of knowledge and experience and help litigants resolve their matters in a timely fashion,” he added.
True most recently served for eleven years as a Superior Court Judge in Alameda County. He spent the last six years presiding over civil disputes and handled thousands of matters. He sought to innovate the way the court handled arbitration and mediation by introducing a successful and widely used mediation program as well as a settlement process and civil discovery facilitation system. He also chaired the ADR Committee of the Courts. While on the bench, he presided over hundreds of civil settlement conferences helping parties to resolve most of them.
“John is the perfect combination of experience, knowledge and temperament,” said Aaron Kaufmann, a Partner at Leonard Carder. “We are fortunate that he will serve as the guiding strategic and legal mind to our ADR practice. We anticipate his unique blend of talent will be sought after by litigants across the state and the nation,” he added.
True was a partner at the Leonard Carder law firm from 2000-2003. Previously he was a partner at Rudy Exelrod Zieff & True and a Senior Staff Attorney at the San Francisco Legal Aid Society’s Employment Law Center. Prior to graduating from U.C. Berkeley School of Law, he served as Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal and as Assistant Director of the Peace Corps program in Afghanistan.
“At every point in my career, I have sought to help those in conflict find a way to resolution. As an attorney, mediator, and later on as a Judge, I worked to help facilitate speedy and fair outcomes. I’m thrilled to be able to come to work every day at Leonard Carder to continue this important work in a wonderful setting with terrific colleagues,” said True.
On March 2, Leonard Carder also announced the opening of its new ADR Center in a suite adjacent to its downtown Oakland offices. The technologically equipped facility is centrally located for Bay Area and global litigants. It features conference rooms, separate spaces for private caucuses, as well as additional workspaces. An outline of services can be found at TrueADR.com.
“We are creating a new facility and have asked John to lead a team effort that makes meaningful and fair outcomes possible,” added Kaufman of the Leonard Carder firm. “We are opening our doors with confidence that we can create winning outcomes for everyone.”
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About Leonard Carder
As one of the oldest and most renowned law firms representing labor unions and employees, Leonard Carder's focus is to provide top-flight legal representation to the labor movement and to advocate on behalf of employees through class actions, individual employee rights cases, and law reform litigation.
About Hon. John M. True, III (Ret.)
Judge True received his law degree from the U.C. Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) in 1975. Prior to law school, Judge True served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal from 1966 to 1969 and as the Assistant Director of the Peace Corps program in Afghanistan from 1969 to 1972.
Judge True began his legal career in 1975 as a Field Attorney in the San Francisco and Oakland offices of the National Labor Relations Board (1975 to 1979). Thereafter, he spent many years practicing labor and employment law on behalf of unions and employees. Right before his judicial appointment, he was a partner at the Leonard Carder firm (2000 to 2003). Before that he was a partner at Rudy Exelrod Zieff & True (1994 to 2000). From 1985 to 1994 he was a Senior Staff Attorney at the San Francisco Legal Aid Society’s Employment Law Center and one of the founders of its Workers Rights Clinic.
Judge True was appointed the Alameda County Superior Court in 2003 where he served until 2015. In his final six years, he oversaw civil litigation. Prior to taking the bench True was an active mediator and arbitrator.
During the course of his career, Judge True taught Employment Law, Labor Law and Negotiation and Settlement as an adjunct faculty member at several Bay Area law schools. His publications include California Employment Litigation: Strategy and Tactics (LEXIS Law Publishing, 1999, now in third edition) and numerous articles on labor and employment law and alternative dispute resolution. He has been a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers since 2001 and was elected in 2008 to the American Law Institute.
April Thomas, Full Court Press, http://fcpcommunications.com/, +1 (510) 550-8176, [email protected]
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