LEE C. PEARCE

PRIVATE JUDGING EXPERIENCE
Lee C. Pearce has frequently served as a judge pro tem in the family courts of Contra Costa County since 1982. He has regularly served as a privately compensated family law judge since 2001. Since then, he has limited his practice to acting as a neutral, either as a private judge or mediator.

As a private judge, he has handled all aspects of family law property characterization and division, stock option allocation, business valuation, tracing, and other aspects of complex property litigation, as well as custody, support and access disputes. He has a private family law courtroom in Walnut Creek, California. The facilities include a courtroom designed to accommodate complex litigation including multiple expert witnesses, witness stand and court reporter station, as well as two breakout rooms for private consultations between counsel and their clients.

He is a founding director and first President of the Family Law Section of the Contra Costa County Bar Association in 1987 and remains on the Board of Directors helping the organization serve its members from Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

MEDIATION
Mr. Pearce was first trained as a family law mediator in 1992, and has had an active mediation practice since that time. He has mediated all aspects of family law litigation, including complex property and tracing issues, as well as non-litigation issues, such as premarital agreements, co-parenting agreements, and the like.

He takes great care to level the playing field for mediating couples, so that they can both comfortably explore resolution options which may be unavailable in the traditional courts. He takes pleasure in helping couples craft creative solutions to their marital problems, and finds personal and professional satisfaction in helping couples to reach their own agreement in the privacy and informality of the mediation process.

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
1975 Admitted to the State Bar of California
1975 - present Private practice of family law in Contra Costa County, California Limited to neutral work as private judge or mediator since 2001.
1980 - present Member of the first class of Family Law Specialists certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

EDUCATION
1975 J.D. Golden Gate University
1969 – 1972 Officer, United States Army
1969 Old Dominion University, B.S. in Political Science

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Since the early 1990’s he has frequently presented classes and trainings to the private bar at Bar Association sessions. He has received many awards and certificates for his participation and leadership in court and Bar Association projects and program.