Michael Linfield brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished career in law to his role as Litigation Director at Dordick Law Corporation. With a strong background in advocacy, education, and judicial excellence, Michael is a vital addition to our team.
Education and Early Career:
Michael grew up in Los Angeles, earning a B.A. cum laude in philosophy from UCLA in 1972. While pursuing a Master’s degree in Engineering Systems, he obtained a Teaching Credential in Math, Philosophy, French, and Hebrew and began teaching in the L.A. Unified School District.
Advocacy Work:
In 1976, Michael volunteered with Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers Union, earning $5 a week. Over the next decade, he served as the UFW’s chief lobbyist in Sacramento, the West Coast Director of the J.P. Stevens Boycott, and directed numerous community campaigns supporting union organizing efforts. In the early 1980s, he worked as a special liaison to Governor Brown on pension investment issues and later served as Deputy to the Mayor of West Hollywood.
Legal Education:
Accepted to Harvard Law School in 1986, Michael earned a Ferguson Fellowship to study Human Rights in Nicaragua and interned with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nicaragua in 1987 and 1988. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1989. During his time at Harvard, he authored Freedom Under Fire: U.S. Civil Liberties in Times of War (1990, South End Press), the first comprehensive study of wartime civil liberties violations in the U.S.
Legal Practice:
After graduating, Michael joined Alschuler, Grossman, and Pines in Century City, representing corporations in complex financial litigation. In 1992, he established his own law practice, focusing on discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, civil rights, and consumer fraud cases. Michael has briefed and argued approximately 80 cases before the California Supreme Court, the California Court of Appeal, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judicial Career:
Appointed by Governor Gray Davis, Michael served as a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court from November 7, 2003. His assignments included domestic violence courts, family law, limited civil, and general civil cases. He was the first judge in Los Angeles County to hold an expedited jury trial and the first in California to provide jurors with iPads for viewing trial exhibits. In 2023, he was named Judge of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and organized a judicial delegation to Ukraine.
Dordick Law Corporation:
As Litigation Director at Dordick Law Corporation, Michael Linfield’s extensive legal expertise and commitment to justice enhance our firm’s ability to provide exceptional legal representation. His career reflects a dedication to human rights and the advancement of legal practice, making him a key leader in our mission to serve our clients with excellence.
