Associate Justice David A. Thompson was appointed to the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, on May 18, 2012, and was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on June 28, 2012. The California State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation unanimously ranked Justice Thompson "exceptionally well qualified" for appointment to the Court of Appeal.
Before being elevated, Justice Thompson was an Orange County Superior Court judge for fifteen years, and served as the Assistant Presiding Judge of that court in 2011 and 2012. As a Superior Court judge, he presided over all types of civil and criminal matters at both the general and limited jurisdiction levels. He was a member of the felony panel from 2008 to 2011, the general civil panel from 2002 to 2008, and the limited jurisdiction panel from 1997 until 2001.
Prior to taking the bench, Justice Thompson was an attorney with Morrison & Foerster LLP in Irvine. As a member of the litigation group in 1996 and 1997 he handled general civil, construction defect and product liability cases. As a member of the real estate group from 1988 until 1996 he was involved in the acquisition, sale, development and financing of real property.
Justice Thompson was a civil litigation attorney with Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa from 1983 until 1988. He maintained a general civil trial practice, handling contract and business tort cases, subsidence litigation, product liability defense and landlord‑tenant disputes. He also handled numerous writs and appeals.
In 1983 Justice Thompson was a staff attorney for Associate Justice Edward J. Wallin of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three. He prepared draft opinions and performed research for Justice Wallin and other members of the Court. He was also an extern in 1982 with Justice Wallin, then sitting as an Orange County Superior Court judge.
Justice Thompson received his Juris Doctor from the University of California at Los Angeles (Order of the Coif) in 1983 and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration (Finance) from Georgetown University (Summa Cum Laude) in 1980. He was born in Pasadena, California, in 1956 and was raised in Orange County.
