Profile
Awards
- 2009 – 2013: Daily Journal, “Top 50 Neutrals”
- 2008: Jurist of the Year, American Board of Trial Advocates, Los Angeles Chapter
Judicial Experience
2001 – 2009 Judge of the Superior Court, Los Angeles
Unlimited civil independent calendar trial court
Family Law trial court – Long cause trials, domestic violence, spousal and child support, child custody
Limited jurisdiction civil trial court
Misdemeanor trial court
Education
- 2008 Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine, Specialized Mediation
- 1996 Mediation Training, UCLA Extension Dept. of Business and Management
- 1973 JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
- 1970 BA, University of California, Los Angeles
Legal Employment
- 1996 – 2001 Fonda Hilberman & Fraser, Founding Partner.
Civil litigation and mediation, including professional and personal liability, insurance coverage, and risk management issues on behalf of insurance carriers, self-insured businesses, universities and healthcare providers, mediator. - 1984 – 1996 Fonda Garrard Hilberman & Davis, Senior Partner.
Tort, professional liability and insurance coverage litigation and risk management. - 1981 – 1984 Levinson & Lieberman, Partner.
General civil practice, specialization in general litigation, real estate title litigation. - 1973 – 1981 Shield & Smith, Partner.
General civil practice; specialization in litigation. Special expertise in products liability, negligence law and professional liability.
Current Memberships
- Los Angeles County Bar Association,
- Litigation Section Executive Committee, 2006-2009
- American Board of Trial Advocates, 1990-present.
- Member, Board of Trustees, Los Angeles Chapter, 2003-present.
- Secretary, 2005-2008.
- Standing Committee on Professional Civility, 2005-2015. (Chair, 2005-2006)
- National Board Representative, Los Angeles Chapter, 2020-2024
- Member, Standing Committee on Judicial Independence, 2022-Present.
- UCLA School of Law Alumni Association, 1973-present.
- Board of Directors, 2005-2017; President 2009-2010.
- UCLA School of Law Mentor Program, 2000-present.
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Judicial Fellow, February 2006.
- Santa Monica Bar Association, Board of Trustees, 2006-2008.
Teaching Experience
- Speaker, Dordick Trial College, 2022-2024.
- Guest Lecturer, Pepperdine Law School, Mediation, February 2016.
- UCLA School of Law, Adjunct Professor of Law, 2009.
- Guest Lecturer, Pepperdine Law School, Trial Advocacy, February 2007.
- Faculty, Los Angeles Superior Court Judicial Education Seminar, “Civil Case Management,” February 2007.
- Guest Lecturer, UCLA “Issues of Domestic Violence in a Family Law Court,” “Sex and the Law,” November 2006.
- Loyola Law School, Adjunct Prof. of Law, “Family Law,” Spring & Fall 2005, Fall 2006.
- Administrative Office of the Courts, Faculty, Cow County Judges Institute, “Discovery, Law and Motion, and Sanctions,” May 2006.
- Los Angeles Superior Court, Settlement Skills Education Committee, Instructor, 2005.
- UCLA Extension, Paralegal Certificate.
- USC School of Medicine, Litigation.
Publications (Partial List)
- “Mediation Tips Based on Attorneys’ Pet Peeves,” Verdict Magazine (ASCDC), Summer 2012.
- “Showing Respect for Mediation, Arbitration and Discovery,” Advocate Magazine, (CAALA) September 2011.
- “Mediation Is Not a Contact Sport,” Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, January 2011.
- “Winning Your Case Without Going to Court, Successful Mediation Techniques,” Verdict Magazine (ASCDC), December 2010.
- “Not-So-New Kid in Town,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, September 17, 2010.
- “Concern for the environment: Successful mediation techniques for court or private mediation,” Advocate Magazine (CAALA), September 2010.
- “Video Depositions At Trial,” Advocate Magazine (CAALA), January 2008.
- “Tech Savvy,” Verdict Magazine (ASCDC), Fourth Quarter 2007.
Speaking Engagements (Partial List)
- Speaker, California State Department of Hospitals, 2024
- Advanced Mediation Training Speaker, U.S. District Court, 2020
- Panelist, “Judicial Perspective on Brain Injuries,” TBI Institute, 2019.
- Panelist, “Effective Mediation Techniques,” California Lawyers Association, 2018.
- Presiding Judge, “Masters in Trial,” ABOTA, 2016.
- Panelist, “Ethics in Mediation,” CAALA Las Vegas Seminar, 2011.
- Panelist, “Social Media,” UCLA School of Law and Association of Corporate Counsel, 2011.
- Panelist, “Winning Your Case Without Ever Going to Court: Successful Mediation Techniques for Private Mediation,” The State Bar of California 83rd Annual Meeting, Monterey, September 23-26, 2010.
- Panelist, “Concern for the Environment: Successful Mediation Techniques for Court or Private Mediation,” CAALA Las Vegas Seminar, August 2010.
- Panelist, “Civility in Litigation,” CAALA Las Vegas Seminar, August 2009.
- Panelist, “Civility from the Trench to the Bench: Does it Really Matter?” UCLA School of Law, March 2009.
- “Local Rules and Civility,” Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, March 2009.
- Panelist, “Automobile Litigation,” CAALA Las Vegas Seminar, August 2005, 2006, 2008.
- Panelist, “Candid Comments,” LACBA Litigation Section, June 2008.
- Panelist, “Annual Trial Lawyer Skills for the New Attorney,” CAALA, March 2008.
- MCLE Presenter at more than 40 private law firms.
Testimonials
“The Judge was fantastic! A pleasure to work with and someone who had read everything and was fully prepared. Not only would I come back to Judge Hilberman, but it would be my pleasure to recommend him to other lawyers.”
“Judge Hilberman is always a pleasure to work with and effective, remarkably adept at balancing the various goals of mediation while maintaining good relationships across the board.”
“Judge Hilberman was great! Will definitely use his services again. Thank you!”
“Judge Hilberman is an exceptional mediator. This was a very difficult case to resolve and he found a way to do it”
“Joe Hilberman is excellent. I recommend him to others frequently.”
“Judge Hilberman was excellent, as always.”
“Judge Hilberman was fantastic. Will certainly use him again.”
“Judge Hilberman was very effective and good to work with, as always.”
“Judge Hilberman is the best! Hope you and yours are safe and healthy. Looking forward to more matters in the near future.”
“Judge Hilberman has a gentlemanly, cerebral approach to the parties, and he treats everybody with respect. He’s interested in who they are outside of the mediation process, and I think that develops relationships and trust, which in turn allow him in essence to be effective when he makes a suggestion. He is tremendously persistent. He works for it. He just simply doesn’t accept you saying, ‘No, this is all we’re going to do.’ He gently will say ‘Well, you’re going to have to do more because I think your interest is in getting this resolved.’ And before you know it, you might be coughing up a bit more money than you had come to the mediation with in an effort to get it done. So he knows how to push the right buttons, which is key.”
“Judge Hilberman’s background as a litigator and retired judge makes him especially effective. He has the ability to look at the big picture and focus in on what’s really important. And he can offer the perspective both from a trial lawyer’s point of view and, of course, from the point of view of somebody who presided over a lot of trials himself in the superior court. And that combination really gives him the ability to communicate well and persuasively with other trial lawyers. He just has a very good people personality.”
“Judge Hilberman’s background as a defense attorney is a major positive. The defense trusts him because they know he was a defense attorney, and they know he knows insurance companies and the way insurance companies think. But at the same time, over the years he’s developed tremendous respect from all of the plaintiffs’ bar. His extensive background as a medical malpractice attorney is a distinguished strong suit. He’s very knowledgeable about medical issues. Judge Hilberman knows the medicine of these cases oftentimes much better than lawyers on either side. His ability to connect with the parties helps resolve cases. He’s one of those people that you just feel comfortable talking to. He’s just such a nice and calm and friendly and funny person that he puts everybody at ease. I can say a lot of nice things about him, but the most important thing I can say is he gets the job done. There are some mediators that are really nice, friendly and they tell nice stories, and we eat Danish and sip coffee, and I can leave thinking, ‘Wow, that was nice.’ But the cases don’t get done, so that doesn’t really help us much. But Judge Hilberman just has a tremendous track record of getting cases resolved.”
