Legal News

Former Calif. appellate judge joins Morrison & Foerster

By Jason Siegel

Retired California Court of Appeal Justice Miriam A. Vogel joined Morrison & Foerster in Los Angeles after 22 years on the trial and appellate bench. (press release)

Vogel, 68, stepped down last month as a justice on the 2d District Court of Appeal and will take on a private-practice role as senior of counsel in the firm's appellate practice.

She is the latest addition to Morrison & Foerster's 35-partner appellate and state Supreme Court practice. She joins another former appellate judge, Shirley Hufstedler, a former member of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the secretary of education during the Carter administration.

Republican former Gov. George Deukmejian appointed Vogel in 1990 to the Los Angeles-based appellate court, where she published 274 opinions, of the total 2,810 she has written over her 18 years on the court.

"We expect Justice Vogel to be an important strategist, tactician and hands-on contributor to our appellate group, especially in California, where her experience is so vast," said Steven M. Kaufman, chair of the firm's litigation department.

Vogel's husband, Charles Vogel, also a retired 2d District appellate justice, works as a private neutral for JAMS in alternative dispute resolution.

Miriam Vogel, who in 1996 criticized the growth of private judging as a "second, separate judicial system" in McMillan v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 50 Cal. App. 4th 246 (1996), decided against taking that direction.

"Appellate advocacy holds the same fascination for me now as it did through my years as a judge," she said. "That is why I chose to re-enter private practice."

Morrison & Foerster has more than 1,000 lawyers offering global legal services in business and litigation.

-- Pamela A. MacLean

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on August 05, 2008 (boomark / email).