Richard Hodge, retired lawyer and judge, shares stories from courtroom battles, contracts, mediations, and life lessons

 

When he was a young man of college age, Richard Hodge was attending seminary and thought he was going to become a Methodist minister. As the fates would have it, he instead went on to become a lawyer, who defended some of the most notorious, and politically charged, crime cases in America, including the Oakland 7, the Soledad 3, and Los Siete. He later developed a specialization in entertainment law, and represented a wide range of clients, including Richard Brautigan, Kenny Loggins, the Steve Miller Band, Boz Scaggs, and many others. He eventually became a judge in the Alameda County Superior Court, where he served for 20 years, adjudicating hundreds of cases, including the landmark water rights case Environmental Defense Fund v. East Bay Municipal Utility District. He also served as Justice Pro Tem on the First District Court of Appeals on four occasions. He has lectured extensively before attorney organizations, environmental organizations, and educational institutions, including the Practicing Law Institute, Boalt Hall at UC Berkeley, Hastings Law School, and Golden Gate Law School. Now retired, Richard Hodge lives in Santa Cruz, and shares stories and insights gained from his long legal career.