Hon. Dennis Choate
With over 20 years of judicial service on the Orange County Superior
Court bench, Judge Choate has resolved matters in all facets of civil
litigation. He served on the court’s Personal Injury Panel and
subsequent blended Civil Litigation panel. He served three terms on the
Superior Court Appellate Department, serving once as its presiding
judge. Judge Choate was assigned to the beginnings of what later became
known as Direct Case Management where judges handle all aspects of their
cases: writs and receivers, law and motion, settlement conferences,
bench and jury trials. He is widely respected as a skilled trial judge
and settlement negotiator.
Judge Choate speaks frequently on many judicial topics including
demonstrative evidence and is well known for creating innovative
solutions to bring parties towards mutually acceptable settlement. He
brings his extensive practical and legal knowledge and experience with
juries, trial attorneys and his common sense approach to dispute
resolution to the private sector. Judge Choate now serves as a mediator,
arbitrator, referee, and private judge. He is also available for case
consultation.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
• Personal Injury
• Business and Commercial Contract Disputes
• Employment
• Real Estate
• Medical/Legal/Professional Malpractice
EDUCATION
1968 University of California, Los Angeles, B.A.
1972 Loyola University School of Law, J.D.
2002 Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Masters’ Forum
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Judicial Experience
1989 – 2008 Orange County Superior Court Judge
1993 – 1994 Appellate Department (Presiding Judge in 1994)
1994 – 2008 Civil Litigation Panel
1992 – 1994 Personal Injury Panel
1987 – 1989 Orange County Municipal Court, West Orange County District
Legal & Trial Experience
1972 – 1987 Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles County
Chief assignments: Major Crimes Section, Organized Crime and Narcotics
Division,
Hardcore Gang Division
1970 – 1972 Senior Clerk, Office of the District Attorney, Los Angeles
County
MEMBERSHIPS
• State Bar of California
• Orange County Bar Association
• International Academy of Trial Judges
• Pepperdine Masters Mediation Program
• California Judges Association
• Civil Law and Procedure Committee
• Grand Jury Selection Committee
• Bench/Bar/Media Committee
• UCLA Alumni Association
• Friends of the Marlin
• International Game Fish Association, Certified Observer
TEACHING, LECTURES AND PANELS
Presenter, lecturer, and seminar speaker on topics of civil trial
practice, jury selection and demonstrative evidence. He also has given
many presentations on search and seizure law, evidence, major narcotics,
organized crime, and prison gangs.
PERSONAL
Judge Dennis S. Choate is the son of the distinguished late Los Angeles
Superior Court judge, Raymond Choate (1919 - 2005).
As a high school student at Mira Costa High School, Judge Choate was a
champion middleweight wrestler in C.I.F. (California). He was also
undefeated in his division in Australia and Japan. While in high school
he was a foreign exchange student with the American Field Service (AFS)
and spent one year in South Australia. Judge Choate later attended UCLA
on a wrestling scholarship. He is a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity
and was active in the Blue Key Honor Society while in college. In his
leisure time, Judge Choate enjoys sport fishing and high school sports.
He is a supporter of catch and release fishing, and is a Certified
Observer for the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA). He is a
co-founder of Friends of the Marlin, a fishing and charitable
organization now in its 26th year.
Judge Choate is a proud UCLA alumni (UCLA’68), along with his wife of 39
years (UCLA’68), and his two sons (UCLA 2000 and 2003). His mother,
father and a sister also graduated from UCLA.
This page was last modified in April 2008
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