Orange County seeks attorneys to serve as temporary judges

The Orange County Superior Court is nearing the close of the application process for attorneys interested in serving as temporary judges for a three-year term running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.

Judge Richard Y. Lee, who has overseen the Temporary Judge Program for the past four years, said "temporary judges serve an invaluable role with our courts."

An applicant must have at least 10 years' experience.

"Our volunteers are senior members of the bar and they volunteer and donate their time. They act as actual judicial officers presiding over a variety of different case types," Lee said Monday. "Everything from traffic court, arraignments and trials, small claims court, unlawful detainer court, family law settlement conferences, civil cases, probate court, civil law in motion, and collaborative courts, which is really a sort of interesting area."

Lee said there are currently about 250 temporary judge volunteers in Orange County.

"We capitalize on their background and skill set and try and match them to a case type that's appropriate for them, assuming there are no conflicts, they serve as actual bench officers," Lee said.

Lee said temporary judges undergo rigorous training as bench officers.

"We don't just put a robe on you and send you to handle traffic," he said. "You have to do three hours of ethics related training, three hours of bench and demeanor related training as well as three hours of any case type -- the specific subject matter of the case type you're intending to serve as a temporary judge. For example, if they were going to be a traffic temporary judge, they'd have to do three hours of traffic or if they were going to call collaborative courts, they'd have to do three hours of collaborative courts. And the court provides all of that."

Some candidates assume serving as a temporary judge is a path toward becoming a commissioner or judge, but Lee said the motivation for most volunteers is simpler.

"They're just doing it because it is a satisfying feeling knowing that you have tangibly helped these people in front of you, whether it's to resolve their differences or sort of help them get to some resolution," he explained. "That's why people come to the court because they've got some conflict or dispute that they can't resolve amongst themselves."

Qualified attorneys should review the court's application materials outlining minimum qualifications and selection criteria, then complete the temporary judge application available on the Orange County Superior Court website.

Current temporary judges who wish to continue serving must file a separate renewal application. The court thanked existing volunteers for their service and encouraged them to reapply.

All training qualifies for MCLE credit. Applications and additional information are available on the court's website. The deadline to apply is Dec. 31, and late submissions will not be accepted.