Hon. James G. Bertoli (Ret.) served as a Superior Court Judge in Sonoma County for 24 years. Judge Bertoli graduated from Analy High School in Sebastopol, California, attended Santa Rosa Junior College, received his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California at Davis, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
After clerking at the California Teachers Association Department of Legal Services, Judge Bertoli was in private general practice for 14 years handling cases involving labor law, education law, personal injury, business law, probate, and family law. As an attorney, Judge Bertoli handled numerous trials and administrative hearings and served many years as a settlement conference panelist and small claims judge and was recognized for that exceptional work by the Sonoma County Superior Court.
Elected to the bench in 2000, Judge Bertoli had numerous assignments including criminal misdemeanor and felony calendars, juvenile delinquency and dependency, civil trials and probate. Judge Bertoli became best known as a family law judge, acting as supervising family law judge for for nearly a decade. Judge Bertoli heard thousands of family law cases, plus handled approximately 500 domestic violence cases each year.
Judge Bertoli was honored with the prestigious Rex Sater Award which recognizes outstanding contributions in family law. Judge Bertoli was well known for his judicial leadership locally and statewide. In addition to being a leader in the Sonoma County Superior Court, he served on numerous statewide judicial committees and, for 14 years, served as chair of the California Judges Association Judicial Elections Committee. He was also active in educating judges and attorneys throughout California on numerous family law topics as well as courtroom management. As a judicial educator, Judge Bertoli organized and authored various judicial educational resources.
Judge Bertoli is very active in his free time as a member of the Sonoma County Employees Golf League, the Central Sonoma County Bowling Association, (although he recently “hung up his spikes” after 23 years as a catcher in the Men’s Senior Baseball League), Youth Ag & Leadership Foundation board member and a board member of the Analy High School Alumni Association. Judge Bertoli appears many evenings at some of your favorite local music venues as the lead singer of the country band Court ‘n’ Disaster.
Judge Bertoli is available as a mediator and private judge in Family Law, Trusts & Estates, and Employment.