With a background of 45 years as a trial lawyer, Terry Bridges has fully transitioned to a private mediation practice.
Mr. Bridges has been actively engaged as a mediator for over 20 years. During that period he has served as the founding director of the Riverside County Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Service as well as a panelist for the the Riverside County Superior Court and Division Two of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Since 2005 Mr. Bridges has been an active member of the Attorney Settlement Program for the U.S. District Court Central District. He currently serves on its Advisory Panel.
Mr. Bridges has been published in numerous journals, including California Lawyer, the publication of the State Bar of California, Litigation, the publication of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association , The Bencher, published by American Inns of Court, and the Riverside County Bar Association's, Riverside County Lawyer. His articles address topics which include mediation, civility and professionalism, voir dire, case analysis and evaluation and court conducted mini trials with an advisory verdict as a settlement tool.
Mr. Bridges has consistently received recognition from his peers. For over 40 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 H. Krieger Meritorious Service Award in 2007
Mr. Bridges is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates.
The Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court, the local chapter of the American Inns of Court which seeks to improve the professionalism and ethics of those in the legal community, honored Mr. Bridges by the establishment of an annual “Terry Bridges Outstanding Attorney Award” in 2007. He was also nominated by federal judges, the Leo A. Deegan Inns of Court, and the San Bernardino/Riverside chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates for the 2009 Ninth Circuit Professionalism Award.
In 2005 Mr. Bridges was recognized for his role in increasing civility in the courtroom and in the legal profession by The San Bernardino/Riverside chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates which presented him with their Civility Award.
He happily served as a member of the California State Bar Attorney Civility Task Force from 2006 to 2008.
Among other diversions, Mr. Bridges enjoys annual solo backpacking and hiking trips to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Pilates and running. He competes monthly in 5k races.