Los Angeles County (Los Angeles)
Career Highlights: Elevated to a Los Angeles County Superior Court judgeship by Gov. Pete Wilson, 1998; judge, Los Angeles Municipal Court, 1996-98; sole practitioner, Los Angeles, 1995-96; partner, McCambridge Deixler Marmaro & Goldberg, Century City, 1988-95; associate, Hochman Salkin & DeRoy, Beverly Hills, 1986-88; prosecutor, U.S. Attorney's Office, Los Angeles, 1982-86; associate, Irell & Manella, Los Angeles, 1980-82; civil litigation attorney, Sidley & Austin, Chicago, 1979-80.
Law School: UC Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law
Career Highlights: Elevated to a Los Angeles County Superior Court judgeship by Gov. Pete Wilson, 1998; judge, Los Angeles Municipal Court, 1996-98; sole practitioner, Los Angeles, 1995-96; partner, McCambridge Deixler Marmaro & Goldberg, Century City, 1988-95; associate, Hochman Salkin & DeRoy, Beverly Hills, 1986-88; prosecutor, U.S. Attorney's Office, Los Angeles, 1982-86; associate, Irell & Manella, Los Angeles, 1980-82; civil litigation attorney, Sidley & Austin, Chicago, 1979-80.
Law School: UC Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law
LOS ANGELES -- According to Judge James C. Chalfant, most lawyers do not want to become judges. His view is the opposite. "I don't want to be an advocate, I want to decide, and that, to me, is the best use of my abilities."
Except for contempt hearings, everything Chalfant does in his writs and receivers assignment is on paper. There's no live testimony. He prefers tackling mandamus petitions, finding them more complicated, more... (continued)
