Resume

The Honorable Ming W. Chin joined ADR Services, Inc. in 2021 after a highly decorated and illustrious career marked by exemplary public service, including 24 years as an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court. He is deeply respected and admired among his peers, not only for his remarkable intellect and strength of character, but also for his great dedication and contributions to the California judiciary and to the legal community at large. As a mediator, arbitrator, referee, and appellate consultant at ADR Services, Inc., Justice Chin continues to service the business and legal communities by resolving complex and divisive matters through alternative dispute resolution.

Justice Chin was appointed to the California Supreme Court by Governor Pete Wilson in 1996, becoming the first Chinese-American to serve on the court. During his tenure, he became known for his prolific output, authoring landmark decisions and key opinions across the full range of civil and criminal matters, often drawing upon his prior experience in the fields of arbitration, business litigation, family law, and criminal law. Justice Chin previously served on the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, as an Associate Justice and later Presiding Justice of his division. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeal, he served two years as a Judge of the Alameda County Superior Court.

Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, as the youngest of eight children to parents who immigrated to the United States from China, Justice Chin spent his formative years working on his family’s rural potato farm seven days a week, developing a formidable work ethic that would serve him well throughout his career. After his family relocated to California, Justice Chin attended the University of San Francisco, studying political science and simultaneously serving four years in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). After graduating from the University of San Francisco, School of Law, Justice Chin answered the call to public service as a Captain in the United States Army for two years, including a year in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star for his service in the Vietnam War.

Upon returning home from military service, Justice Chin began his legal career as a Deputy District Attorney at the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. After four years, he left the District Attorney’s office to become an associate in the Oakland based business and employment litigation firm of Aiken, Kramer & Cummings. He pursued that trial practice for fifteen years, becoming a partner in the firm and gaining considerable civil experience in the courtroom, including obtaining two judgments in excess of $1 million dollars, until his appointment to the bench in 1988.

Justice Chin has served on the leadership committees of several state and local bar associations and was the first Asian-American to serve as President of the Alameda County Bar Association in its more than 100-year history. He is Vice Chair of the California Judicial Council and has chaired the Council’s Commission for Impartial Courts, Court Technology Advisory Committee, and Science and the Law Steering Committee. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of San Francisco, where he was a member of the Executive Committee and chaired the Academic Affairs Committee. In 2009, the Judicial Council of California named him the California Jurist of the Year.

JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE

Supreme Court of California, 1996-2020

Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson, 1996
Confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, 1996

California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, 1990-1996

Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian, 1990
Promoted to Presiding Justice of Division Three, 1994

Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, 1988-1990

Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian, 1988

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Partner, Aiken, Kramer & Cummings, 1973-1988
Deputy District Attorney, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, 1969-1973

MILITARY EXPERIENCE

Captain, United States Army, 1967-1969

Commendation Medal, Quang Tri, Vietnam, 1969
Bronze Star, Long Binh, Vietnam, 1969

EDUCATION

J.D., University of San Francisco, School of Law, 1967
B.A. in Political Science, University of San Francisco, 1964

HONORS & AWARDS

Bernard E. Witkin Medal, California Lawyers Association, 2020
John Van de Kamp “Justice Through Laws” Award, Conference of California Bar Associations 2020
Bernard S. Jefferson Judicial Education Award, California Judges Association, 2020
Thomas More Award, St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco, 2016
Distinguished Service Award, Judicial Council of California, 2009
Legal Impact Award, Asian Law Alliance, 2007
Commitment to Community Award, Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley, 2006
Promoting Diversity Through Judicial Excellence, California Minority Counsel Program, 2006
Distinguished Faculty Service, Judicial Council of California Education Division, 2005
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Award, United States Attorneys 2004
Trailblazer Award, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 1999
Public Service & Government Leadership Award, Asian Business Association, 1998
Citizen of the Year Award, Chinese Americans United for Self-Empowerment, 1998
Legal Impact Award, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, 1997
Learned Hand Award, San Francisco Bay Chapter, American Jewish Committee, 1997
Thomas More Award, University of San Francisco, School of Law, 1996
Alumnus of the Year, University of San Francisco, School of Law, 1993
Outstanding Judge of the Year, Alameda County Bar Association, 1989
Alumnus of the Year, University of San Francisco, 1988
Distinguished Service Award, Alumni Association, University of San Francisco, 1985
Edward McQuade Award for Journalism, University of San Francisco, 1964

SELECTED LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL ROLES

Vice Chair, Judicial Council of California, 2015-Present
President, Commonwealth Club of California, 1998
Member, Executive Committee, State Bar Court, State Bar of California, 1993-1994
Member, San Francisco District Attorney’s Commission on Hate Crimes, 1990-1992
President, Alameda County Bar Association, 1987
Member, Board of Directors, First District Agricultural Association, 1985-1988
Delegate, Conference of Delegates, State Bar of California, 1983-1986
Referee, State Bar Court, State Bar of California, 1978, 1979

PUBLICATIONS

Co-Author, Employment Litigation (The Rutter Group California Practice Guide). Thomson Reuters.
Co-Author, Forensic DNA Evidence: Science and the Law (The Rutter Group Criminal Practice Series). Thomson Reuters.

SELECTED ARTICLES

“Closing Argument: Liberty and Individual Responsibility: Partners in Democracy.” USF Lawyer: 34, January 2011.
“Judicial Independence: Under Attack Again?”. Hastings Law Journal, July 2010, 61, 1345.
“Looking Ahead on the Journey for Diversity.” Judges’ Journal, Summer 2009, Vol 48, No. 3.
“An Introduction to the Work of the Commission for Impartial Courts.” California Courts Review, Fall 2007-Winter 2008, 12-14.
“Healthcare and Other Social Aspects of Genetics: A Judicial Perspective.” International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, Vol. 8, No. 5, 2007, 549.
“21st-Century Challenge: The Law Struggles to Keep Up with Advances in Science.” California Courts Review, Winter 2006, 8-13.

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