Dorothy Wolpert, 1934 -- 2026

Dorothy Wolpert, a founding partner of Bird Marella and a respected trial lawyer, died Wednesday. She was 91. Over a legal career spanning nearly five decades, she built a reputation as a formidable commercial litigator while earning equal admiration for her unwavering commitment to public service, mentorship, and professional integrity.

Wolpert was instrumental in founding what became Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks, Lincenberg & Rhow, helping establish the firm's culture and values from its earliest days. She emphasized professionalism, collegiality, work-life balance, and pro bono service alongside excellence in the courtroom, principles that continue to define the Los Angeles litigation boutique.

"She was instrumental in the founding of our firm and was not just a partner, but a mentor for generations of lawyers," said Bird Marella Managing Partner Paul Chan. "It's a tremendous loss for all of us, but we're grateful we had the opportunity to work with her and learn from her for so many years. She had a tremendous positive influence on the firm for decades."

Her practice encompassed complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, entertainment, and appellate matters, and she became a highly respected mediator and arbitrator. She argued before the California Supreme Court, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and federal district courts throughout California.

Wolpert's journey to the legal profession was anything but conventional. A native of New York City, she married historian Stanley Wolpert while still in college and spent years raising their two sons while supporting his academic career, including time living in India. Nearing 40, she enrolled at UCLA School of Law, earned her J.D. in 1976 and launched a distinguished litigation career after overcoming the skepticism often directed at older law graduates.

Outside the courtroom, Wolpert devoted countless hours to pro bono work and became one of Southern California's leading advocates for access to justice. She served on the board of the Inner City Law Center for 30 years, including as board president, founded the nonprofit's annual awards luncheon and handled dozens of pro bono housing cases. Among them was what remains the center's largest housing recovery, securing nearly $7 million on behalf of 220 tenants.

"Her commitment to the clients we serve and what she's given to us over the years has just been incredible," said Adam Murray, the center's chief executive officer. "She was in our office just two weeks ago working on a case."

Murray said Wolpert's influence extended well beyond the courtroom.

"She was a very talented lawyer, but also just an amazing human being," he said. "Her guidance, her support and her counsel about how to move the organization forward were huge for me personally. She was a mentor and a supporter for me, in addition to everything she did for Inner City Law Center. Her passing is a huge loss personally, in addition to being an institutional loss."

Wolpert also helped litigate the landmark El Monte Thai worker slavery case, widely credited with launching the modern anti-human trafficking movement in the United States, and received the Inner City Law Center's Katherine Krause Award for Public Service in 2004.

In 2022, UCLA School of Law honored Wolpert and her late husband with its "Uncommon Decency" tribute and established the Dorothy and Stanley Wolpert Public Interest Law Fellowship to support students working at the Inner City Law Center. Then-Dean Jennifer L. Mnookin called her "an exceptional lawyer dedicated to pro bono work" whose mentorship influenced generations of lawyers.

In announcing her death, Bird Marella said Wolpert's "wisdom and bedrock sense of justice" left an enduring mark on the firm and the broader Los Angeles legal community. The firm said her legacy demonstrated that "effective advocacy and professional excellence should be inseparable from kindness, integrity, and service."