Following 41 years of distinguished service on the bench, Judge Link has retired and is available to serve as a mediator, arbitrator, and private judge. As a judge for the Superior Court of San Diego County, he presided over hundreds of significant civil jury trials and for the last 10 years has almost exclusively handled civil settlements. Prior to the bench, Judge Link began his legal career with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and then spent 12 years in private practice.
His ability to unearth the core issues of a case, coupled with his unwavering goal towards resolution have procured him an impressive reputation for settlement. Judge Link received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication to Preserving the Right to Trial by Jury from the American Board of Trial Advocates, San Diego Chapter. He has also received the San Diego County Bar Association Outstanding Jurist award, the Channel 10 Community Leadership Award, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Judge Link’s passion for the law and giving back to the community extends beyond the courtroom. He established Justice 101, a program that teaches students about the judicial system and the consequences of their actions. He is also a member of the Center for Justice & Accountability and serves on the Judicial Advisory Board for the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.
Judge Link stated, “I have always felt that any case can be settled if all parties, including the neutral, come into the process with open and reasonable minds. For the last 22 years, I have handled hundreds of civil trials and settlements and I will bring my dedication and passion to the private sector.”
- All Types of Personal Injury including Wrongful Death
- Business/Commercial
- Employment
- Professional Malpractice
- Real Estate
Judge Link enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, playing golf, and is an avid reader.
- Neutral, Judicate West (2022-Present)
- Judge, Superior Court of San Diego County; Criminal, Appellate, Civil Trial, and Settlement Judge for over 300 settlement conferences (1990-2022)
- Judge, San Diego County Municipal Court (1981-1989)
- Sole Practitioner, Goldberg and Link; Specializing in criminal defense and civil (1970-1981)
- Deputy District Attorney, Office of the District Attorney, San Diego (1969-1970)
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law (1965-1968)
- B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara (1961-1965)
- Pepperdine University’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution Program (2001)
- California Judges Association, Member (1981-Present)
- University of San Diego School of Law, Board of Visitors (1992-2000)
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL), Judicial Advisory Board
- Wallace Inn of Court, Master (2010-2011)
- President’s Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication to Preserving the Right to Trial by Jury, American Board of Trial Advocates, San Diego (2022)
- Outstanding Jurist, San Diego County Bar Association (2009)
- Community Leadership Award, Channel 10 (2000)
- Blue Knight Award, Crime Commission (1999)
- Distinguished Alumni Award, University of San Diego School of Law (1998)
- President's Award for Significant Contributions to the Legal System, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (1998)
- Dedication to Advancement of Diversity Award, Earl Gilliam Bar Association
- Community Service Award, Wadie Deddeh
- Judge of the Year Award, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (1982)
Contractual
- Mediated a case involving a family property dispute.
- Mediated a multi-million dollar case involving contracts and at least 24 separate companies.
Sexual Harassment
- Mediated a case involving the sexual harassment of a young woman in the workplace by a manager and owner.
Wage and Hour
- Mediated a case involving the employee of an attorney who alleges she was not paid properly. The attorney alleges she was an independent contractor.
Wrongful Termination
- Presided over a variety of employment cases including but not limited to wrongful termination and defamation.
Medical
- Adjudicated dozens of medical malpractice cases including dental malpractice.
Estates/Trusts
- Presided over a variety of probate cases including estates and trusts.
Legal
- Adjudicated dozens of legal malpractice disputes including attorney fee disputes and misappropriation.
Real Property
- Adjudicated hundreds of unlawful detainer cases including residential and commercial, non-payment, bank foreclosure, nuisance, wrongful eviction, habitability, discrimination, and force majeure issues.
- Adjudicated dozens of civil real estate cases involving HOA issues, property line disputes, neighbor altercations, real estate agent disputes, non-disclosure and misrepresentation, tree cases, fence, and view disputes.
- Mediated a complicated real estate case involving trees and moving plot lines.
- Mediated a case involving possible fraud in real estate investments. It involved at least 5 attorneys and a sophisticated scheme that had to be broken down.
Warranty of Habitability
- Mediated a case involving a tenant who suffered water damage from a leaking roof. The owner agreed to let him move to a different location while the repairs were taking place. The tenant eventually agreed to move out.
Elder Abuse
- Mediated a case involving a woman who was neglected at a nursing home and suffered many falls.
- Mediated a case involving a nursing home that neglected a patient to the point that she eventually went to the hospital and passed away due to injuries received in the home.
PI Auto
- Adjudicated dozens of personal injury cases including auto, slip-and-fall, and wrongful death.
Policy Distribution
- Mediated over a family dispute of a large award from the father's death.
