After almost 29 years practicing law and 11 years on the Alameda County Superior Court, John True is now a full-time mediator, arbitrator and fact-finder. He is also a part-time adjunct law professor. Although his primary experience has been in the field of labor and employment law, he has also handled a wide variety of other cases including contract disputes, torts, property matters, malpractice cases (both medical and legal) and construction defect cases. A brief summary of his experience and qualifications follows:

Alternative Dispute Resolution Experience

While on the bench and after his retirement from the bench, Judge True has mediated cases in a wide variety of practice areas including:

• Employment, including class actions;
• Labor disputes;
• Business disputes including commercial sales, business agreements, and others;
• Personal injury cases;
• Professional liability, including medical and legal malpractice claims;
• Trade secrets and non-competition litigation; and
• Real estate.

While on the Alameda County Superior Court, Judge True held settlement conferences in hundreds of civil cases, most of which resolved successfully. In 2005, he was asked by the Court to lead its Alternative Dispute Resolution Administration Committee, which he did until his retirement. As Chair of the ADR Committee, Judge True helped to develop and implement the Court’s successful Court Mediation Program for civil cases. Local rules and procedures were modified to encourage mediation, and a panel of mediators willing to volunteer time to help settle civil cases was developed. The Program is now the centerpiece of the Court’s ADR program. Judge True also helped to develop and inaugurate a Discovery Facilitation Program, now widely used to resolve discovery disputes before motion practice is required.

Since he left the bench, Judge True has been an active arbitrator in employment and labor disputes. In addition to being available as a private mediator and arbitrator, Judge True serves as a mediator and discovery facilitator on the Alameda County panel he helped to create. He is also a panel mediator and Early Neutral Evaluation Program Evaluator for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California’s ADR Program.

Full Resume (PDF)