Candidate for
Judge of the Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 157

I ALREADY have substantial experience on the bench - fourteen plus years as a Referee in Juvenile Court. ten years quasi-judicial experince in arbitration and mediation, and service as a state Administrative Law Judge. When you hire someone to do any job, you want someone who already has a long track record of success in that job !

I have devoted over a decade of my life on the Juvenile Court bench, working daily to keep thousands of kids all over L. A. County from becoming gang criminals in the first place. I BELIEVE that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Of all my legal work, I am most proud of my recent fourteen plus years of work with kids, hearing cases in the Informal Juvenile & Traffic Court ("Informal Juvenile Court") as a Los Angeles Superior Court (LASC) Referee. NO...I didn't wear a stripped shirt with a whistle. Juvenile Court Referees wear the black robe and hear assigned cases: "...with the same powers as a judge of the juvenile court." See Welfare and institutions Code Section 248.

As aptly stated by Forest Witcraft:

"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank...but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child."

I saw over about 100,000 kids (and their parents) over the years. I served all across the County + Santa Monica, Torrance, Pomona, Norwalk, Pasadena, Downtown L.A., Compton, Long Beach, Van Nuys, Sylmar and Lancaster.

About "ninety-seven per cent of all misdemeanors that were charged against juveniles" in L.A. County were filed in the Informal Juvenile Court, according to the former LASC website description.

Most of our cases were not traffic related. About 79% were " ...the misdemeanor and infraction violations which if not corrected early on are likely to lead to delinquent behavior." Id. These included, for example, tagging, shoplifting, possession of marijuana, alcohol or tobacco, under the influence in public, trespass, disturbing the peace by fighting or threats, gambling, among others. The goal of the Informal Juvenile Court was early intervention to prevent bigger problems in the future.

Parents would often come into my courtroom complaining that their kids were out of control...they wouldn't go to school, they wouldn't come home at night, they were using drugs or alcohol, stealing, violent, disrespectful, hanging out with gang members.

I tried to understand the family dynamics, reason with the kids, and work with the family to turn the situation around. I made clear that there were consequence to their choices and to take responsibility for their actions. I helped the kids to understand the impact of their actions on their family, their community, and their future. I would send parents and kids to get help from a variety of community based programs, and then monitor and encourage their progress over a period of up to six months. I would often reduce or waive kids' fines for things like graduating high school and enrolling in college, or obtaining tutoring in their subject areas of weakness.

There is nothing more rewarding than those occasions when a kid, or a parent would come back years later, to tell me the kid finished high school, was off all controlled substances, was doing well in college or in a job, and beginning a family.

Statistically, teens have the highest traffic accident and accident fatality rate. With respect to the juvenile traffic matters I heard, such as street racing, reckless driving, hit and run, no license (and often `borrowing' their parent's car), speeding, running red lights/stop signs, I attempted to get the kids to understand the very real dangers to themselves and others, as drivers and as pedestrians. I routinely suspended driving privileges to make an impression. I am hopeful that I saved a few lives out on the streets.

My Daily Journal Judicial Profile notes: "...Criminal defense lawyers who occasionally represent minors in Mednick's courtroom describe him as a warm, but firm, bench officer. `He shows a great sensitivity to the anxieties and apprehensions of juvenile offenders, many of whom are appearing in the system for the first time' said Daniel F. Brookman of Santa Monica. `He's very down to earth' said Redondo Beach attorney Michael Norris. `He's patient. He's a good listener. But at the same time, when a point needs to be made or when a minor isn't fulfilling their obligations, he's quick to point it out and to set appropriate deadlines and consequences.'..."

Of the approximate one to two hundred thousand matters I heard on the juvenile court bench, about 4,000 were court trials (Juvenile misdemeanors and traffic infractions).

I most recently worked as an Administrative Law Judge on a special project for the State of California. I presided at about fifty-five administrative trials in cases on benefits for seniors. By letter, the Director of the Department of Social Services commended my work, writing:

"Arnold Mednick Administrative Law Judge ...On behalf of the California Department of Social Services I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude for your exceptional work on the ...(CBAS) Program. ...You have worked at the highest level of skill and dedication through extremely tight deadlines and highly demanding circumstances and have dealt with these obstacles and challenges in a highly competent and professional manner. Once again, I appreciate your outstanding efforts...and compliment you on a job well done."

From about 1979 to 1999, I taught on a regular basis as an adjunct law professor at various local law and paralegal schools + including Whittier, Southwestern, University of La Verne and West L.A.

The courses I taught included: Litigation Procedure, Practice and Technique (1991-1999), Alternative Dispute Resolution (1990-1999), Legal Skills: Legal Research, Legal Writing, Moot Court (1981-1983,1989-1992), Real Property (1984, 1996-1997), Real Estate Sales Transactions (1982), Client Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation (1992-1999), Various Civil Procedure topics (1985-1999), Personal Injury (1989), Legal Aspects of Real Estate (1979-1981) Contracts (1994, 1996)

I also spent about eight years as a volunteer consultant on the Continuing Education of the Bar Trial Practice Subcommittee (1985-1993), which oversaw CEB civil litigation programs and publications in California.

Regarding my service, a retired CEB Editor and Staff Attorney wrote: "...As the CEB attorney who provides staff support to the Civil Trial Practice Subcommittee, I had the pleasure and benefit or working with Mr. Mednick over the past seven years. I was so impressed by the useful contributions that he made to the planning and execution of CEB programs and publications...that I recommended that he be appointed Chairman... and in order not to lose his valuable advice, I prevailed on Mr. Mednick to continue...as a consultant.

Mr. Mednick... has, over the years provided much thoughtful and practical advice, based on solid knowledge of civil procedure, and the practicalities of legal practice, that has helped CEB to improve its educational publications and programs."

The first sixteen years of my legal career were spent primarily in civil litigation practice. This included about six years in complex civil business litigation at two top national law firms - Wyman, Bautzer, Rothman, Kuchel & Silbert and Memel, Jacobs, Pierno, Gersh & Ellsworth. It also included two years as a Research Attorney for outstanding trial judges: in Superior Court, in Law and Motion and Writs and Receivers Departments, for Hon. John Cole (deceased); in U.S. District Court, for Hon. Dickran Tevrizian, Jr. (retired): and in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, for the Hon. Barry Russell.

Also, over about a ten year period, I worked in Alternative Dispute Resolution. As Mediator, I settled numerous cases. The then Assistant Presiding Judge commended me for "outstanding service as a settlement officer settling cases...at a success rate double the program average" including "a diverse sampling of complex business/commercial/real estate as well as personal injury matters..." Similarly, the "Supervising Judge for the JASOP Superior Court Settlement Officer Program" Hon. Robert Weil (deceased) wrote: "I worked closely with Mr. Mednick. He served as one of our most highly valued settlement officers... I was impressed by Mr. Mednick's legal knowledge, his ability to quickly grasp the issues and focus on the crux of the problem, as well as his facility in generating creative solutions. I was likewise impressed by his calm judicial demeanor, patience and sound practical instinct."

As a volunteer Temporary Judge I heard hundreds of matters: short cause civil bench trials (including Unlawful Detainer trials), 32 weekly civil law & motion calendars for Beverly Hills Municipal Court, as well as approximately thousands of small claims trials and appeals, and adult traffic arraignments and trials. The judges of the Beverly Hills Municipal Court commended my bench work writing: " We would not hesitate to have Arnold handle any civil assignment in this court and we commend him to you most highly." I also presided as an Arbitrator at numerous judicial and private Arbitrations covering the spectrum of civil litigation.

I graduated from the following schools: University of California, Hastings College of Law - Juris Doctor 1979. UCLA,Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology 1976.

I served on the following locals Bar Association Governing Boards: BOARD OF TRUSTEES, L.A. County Bar Association, 1992-94; BOARD OF GOVERNORS, Beverly Hills Bar Association, 1988-90; BOARD OF GOVERNORS, Beverly Hills Bar Barristers 1984-92 (awarded the Lawrence Blake Service Award for 1992); EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, L.A. County Bar Barristers, 1984-88; BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Public Counsel Legal Aid, 1987-90.

I also served as chariman of the following programs/committees: Chairman, L.A. County Bar Association TAP - TRIAL ATTORNEY PROJECT (an eight week volunteer criminal prosecutor trial training program, with a one month volunteer prosecutor component) (1985-87) L.A. County Bar service award; Chairman, California CEB Advisory Committee/Trial Practice Sub-Committee (1986-88) State Bar service award; member/consultant (1985-99); Chairman, B.H. Bar/Barristers volunteer temporary judge programs (1985-91) + American Bar Association (YLD) Award of Achievement for 1988-89.

I have also been active in community service including: Adult Leader, Boy Scouts of America Explorer Post 2115 (1988-91). Volunteer - Shrine Hospital for Children, and Special Olympics, Los Angeles. Speaker at various High School Student Success programs.