Hon. James A. Albracht (Ret.)



A distinguished high school baseball career led Hon. James A. Albracht to UCLA, where he majored in English, funded by a full grant-in-aid baseball scholarship. Thereafter he attended UCLA School of Law, securing his JD in 1967.

Experience and Areas of Expertise

Because of Judge Albracht’s knowledge and negotiation skills, he has resolved hundreds of disputes in innumerable fields of law, including medical malpractice, personal injury, real estate, employment, complex business litigation, official misconduct, fraud, and entertainment. Attorneys have sought out Judge Albracht for his ability to apply his negotiation savvy to a wide variety of disputes and issues.

Trial Experience

Appointed to the Los Angeles Superior in 1982, Judge Albracht honed his dispositional skills resolving 98% of the cases processed in the criminal calendar, including high profile cases such as People v. Pittman (shooter in the Billionare Boy’s Club) and People v. Menendez. After his successful time on the criminal court, he moved to the civil arena for the next 11 years. Here, he handled a diverse range of matters, in torts, contracts, family law, and special proceedings. In focusing on trials and settlements, Judge Albracht’s interpersonal skills, intelligence, sincerity, and personal ethics enabled him to resolve many of the cases that came before him. As word of his acumen spread, the Bar sought his help to resolve difficult civil cases and oversee complex bench trials, where he developed a recognized expertise in real estate and medical malpractice cases. Recognized for his insight into and empathy for trial participants— jurors, witnesses, and parties alike—his extensive trial experience serves him well in the alternative dispute resolution field.

Before the Bench

Judge Albracht accepted an appointment to deputy district attorney with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office after passing the bar. After practicing as a generalist prosecutor, he was selected to the special unit focusing on sexual assault prosecution, and then to the elite Special Investigations Division, which handled police officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths, public corruption, and election code violations cases. His efforts yielded significant high profile convictions and prepared him well for the bench.

Representative Cases