Lawline Faculty Bio
Hon. John Leo Wagner with others
Hon. John Leo Wagner
ADR Neutral/Hearing Officer
Judicate West Judge John Leo Wagner has 20 years experience in conducting ADR processes. In 1997, he left the Federal bench to become the Director of the Irell & Manella ADR Center, where he engaged in a full-time practice as a neutral. Currently Mr. Wagner is a hearing officer with the Dispute Resolution Provider, Judicate West. He previously served for 12 years as a U. S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Oklahoma. He was appointed to this position at age 31, after trying many substantial cases to verdict as a litigation partner with Kornfeld & Franklin. While on the Federal bench, he founded and administered a court-annexed mediation program and served as an ADR neutral, in addition to maintaining a full civil caseload. Judge Wagner has successfully conducted thousands of mediations and arbitrations. He is well respected for his extensive experience with multi-party settlements and has often been called upon to resolve particularly complex or difficult cases including intellectual property, construction defect, environmental and mass torts, as well as securities and consumer class actions. Robert J. Newmeyer, Esq. Career Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California Robert Newmeyer is a career law clerk for a district judge in the United States District Court, Southern District of California. Previously, Mr. Newmeyer served for three years as a law clerk to the Hon. Roger T. Benitez, (then) U.S. Magistrate Judge, Southern District of California at El Centro. Prior to that, Mr. Newmeyer served for six years as a law clerk to Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Hon. Roger C. McKee (ret.), Southern District of California, and for four years as a law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge Hon. Jeffrey S. Wolfe (ret.), in the Northern District of Oklahoma. Mr. Newmeyer has also worked in private practice litigating cases in federal district courts in Hawaii, Montana, Maine, Texas, and Arkansas, and appellate courts in the 1st, 5th, 8th and 9th circuits. Jeanine Percival Wright, Esq.
Former Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Central District of California Jeanine Percival Wright served as a law clerk for the Hon. Manuel L. Real of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Ms. Wright now works for Dreier, Stein & Kahan as an Entertainment and Media Litigator. Previously, Ms. Wright was an associate for Alschuler, Grossman, Stein & Kahan. Prior to that, she worked as a law student at the USC Law School Domestic Violence Clinic and a case clerk for Folger, Levin & Kahn. Ms. Wright is a graduate of the University of Southern California Law School. She is a member of the Order of the Coif and also served as the Articles Editor for the Southern California Law Review. Laurie E. Smith, Esq.
Career Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Central District of California Laurie Smith is a career law clerk for the Honorable John F. Walter, U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California. Prior to that, Ms. Smith litigated at several law firms in Northern and Southern California. Ms. Smith served as Managing Editor for the Virginia Tax Review law journal and is a 1996 graduate of the University of Virginia School Of Law. Michelle A. Alig, Esq. Former Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Judicate West Judge John Leo Wagner has 20 years experience in conducting ADR processes. In 1997, he left the Federal bench to become the Director of the Irell & Manella ADR Center, where he engaged in a full-time practice as a neutral. Currently Mr. Wagner is a hearing officer with the Dispute Resolution Provider, Judicate West. He previously served for 12 years as a U. S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Oklahoma. He was appointed to this position at age 31, after trying many substantial cases to verdict as a litigation partner with Kornfeld & Franklin. While on the Federal bench, he founded and administered a court-annexed mediation program and served as an ADR neutral, in addition to maintaining a full civil caseload. Judge Wagner has successfully conducted thousands of mediations and arbitrations. He is well respected for his extensive experience with multi-party settlements and has often been called upon to resolve particularly complex or difficult cases including intellectual property, construction defect, environmental and mass torts, as well as securities and consumer class actions. Robert J. Newmeyer, Esq. Career Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California Robert Newmeyer is a career law clerk for a district judge in the United States District Court, Southern District of California. Previously, Mr. Newmeyer served for three years as a law clerk to the Hon. Roger T. Benitez, (then) U.S. Magistrate Judge, Southern District of California at El Centro. Prior to that, Mr. Newmeyer served for six years as a law clerk to Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Hon. Roger C. McKee (ret.), Southern District of California, and for four years as a law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge Hon. Jeffrey S. Wolfe (ret.), in the Northern District of Oklahoma. Mr. Newmeyer has also worked in private practice litigating cases in federal district courts in Hawaii, Montana, Maine, Texas, and Arkansas, and appellate courts in the 1st, 5th, 8th and 9th circuits. Jeanine Percival Wright, Esq.
Former Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Central District of California Jeanine Percival Wright served as a law clerk for the Hon. Manuel L. Real of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Ms. Wright now works for Dreier, Stein & Kahan as an Entertainment and Media Litigator. Previously, Ms. Wright was an associate for Alschuler, Grossman, Stein & Kahan. Prior to that, she worked as a law student at the USC Law School Domestic Violence Clinic and a case clerk for Folger, Levin & Kahn. Ms. Wright is a graduate of the University of Southern California Law School. She is a member of the Order of the Coif and also served as the Articles Editor for the Southern California Law Review. Laurie E. Smith, Esq.
Career Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Central District of California Laurie Smith is a career law clerk for the Honorable John F. Walter, U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California. Prior to that, Ms. Smith litigated at several law firms in Northern and Southern California. Ms. Smith served as Managing Editor for the Virginia Tax Review law journal and is a 1996 graduate of the University of Virginia School Of Law. Michelle A. Alig, Esq. Former Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Michelle A. Alig is a law clerk for the Honorable Suzanne H. Segal, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Ms. Alig previously worked as an extern with the U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit. Prior to law school she served as a paralegal with the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division in Washington, D.C. Ms. Alig is a graduate of UCLA School of Law where she served as the Chief Articles Editor for the Journal of Law and Technology.
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Federal Court BOOT CAMP: How to Practice in Federal Court: Law Clerks Teach the Nuts & Bolts
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