Terry D. Bridges

Terry Bridges joined Reid & Hellyer in 2004 as a Senior Attorney. He has tried many cases to jury verdict. Currently, he focuses primarily on mediation and is a knowledgeable source on, and an advocate for, the alternative dispute resolution process.

Terry has been providing private mediation services since 2000 and has held a host of leadership positions to strengthen this field of law that can serve many advantages for those who utilize it.

As the founding director of the Riverside County Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Service in 1992, he worked to bring mediation services to residents of Riverside County. He has served on the Division Two Mediation Panel for the California Court of Appeals' Fourth Appellate District. Terry is also a current panelist on the Riverside County Superior Court Attorney Settlement Program and a member of the Attorney Settlement Program for the U.S. District Court Central District since 2005.

Noted for his expertise in this field, Terry has been published in numerous journals, including Riverside Lawyer, the publication of the Riverside County Bar Association, and California Lawyer, the publication of the State Bar of California.

Terry has also received high marks and multiple awards conveying the professionalism and skill with which he practices law. For 38 years he has held an AV rating by the Martindale-Hubbel attorney rating service and has been listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" for business litigation from 1993 to present. He was also a recipient of the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court Distinguished Trial Lawyer Award in 1996 and the Riverside County Bar Association's James A. Krieger Meritorious Service Award in 2007.

The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court, the local chapter of the American Inns of Court that aims to improve the professionalism and ethics of those in the legal community, took the step of honoring Terry by the establishment of its annual "Terry Bridges Outstanding Attorney Award" in 2007. Terry was also nominated by federal judges, Leo A. Deegan Inns of Court and the Inland Empire Chapter of the Federal Bar Association for the 2009 Inns of Court Ninth Circuit Professionalism Award.

Terry has also been recognized for his role in increasing civility in the courtroom and in the legal profession. The San Bernardino/Riverside chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates honored Terry with their Civility Award in 2005 and he was a member of the California State Bar Attorney Civility Task Force from 2006 to 2008.

Litigation Percentage:

• 90% Mediation
• 10% Litigation and Trials

Bar Admissions:

• California, 1966
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1981
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1981

Education:

• University of Southern California Law School, Los Angeles, California, 1965
  LL.B.

• Santa Clara University, California, 1962
  B.A.

Published Works:

• Advice from Outside, California Lawyer, October, 1985
• Careful Evaluation of Your Cases is the Key to Successful Lawyering, California Lawyer, February, 1991
• More Effective Case Analysis, The Idaho Trial Lawyer, Summer, 1991
• Evaluating Your Cases, Bench Bar of Minnesota, April, 1994
• Court-Ordered Mini-Trial with Advisory Verdict, California Litigation, Spring/Summer, 1996
• Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk, Practical Civility Suggestions for Bench and Bar, The Bencher, September/October, 2002 
• Mediation Musings,  Riverside County Lawyer, October 2005
• Voir Dire Tips,  Riverside County Lawyer February 2007
• Is It Malpractice to Be Civil - An Invitation for Further Discussion, Riverside County Lawyer, June 2007

Classes/Seminars Taught:

• Hastings College of Trial Advocacy, Hastings College of Law, Faculty, 1978 - 1990

• Riverside County Bar Association Civil Litigation Seminar, Co-Founder and Faculty Member, 1985 - 1993
• Founder and speaker at University of Santa Clara School of Law Ethics Program, 1993-1998
• Various presentations to California State Bar programs, Bar Associations, Inns of Court, Barrister Associations, law schools, 2009 Civil Law Institute and California Center for Judicial Education

Mediation Experience:

• Private Mediation Services, 2000 - Present
• Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution Advanced Mediation Skills courses 2007, 2009

  Professional Associations and Memberships:

• State Bar of California 1966 - Present
• Riverside County Bar Association,  President 1987 - 1988
• Riverside County Bar Association,  Judicial Evaluation Committee 1987- Present, Chair, 1991- Present
• Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court, 1998 - 1999
• Founding Member and Master Emeritus, President 1998 - 2000
• California Judicial Council Advisory Committee on Civil Jury Instructions 2004 - 2007
• Federal Bar Association, Inland Empire Chapter, 1995 - Present
• Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference Lawyer Delegate, 1997 - 1999
• Central District Federal Court Standing Committee on Discipline 2004 - Present ,(Vice Chair 2009 - 2010, Chair 2010 - 2011)
• Chair, Riverside-San Bernardino Federal Court Project, 1992 - 1993
• Member , Senator Barbara Boxer Central District Judicial Advisory Committee, 2009 - 2010