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Hon. Russell S. Roeca
San Francisco Superior Court https://sf.courts.ca.gov/divisions/unified-family-court
About The Lecturer
Honorable Russell S. Roeca was appointed to the San Francisco Superior Court in 2020 by Governor Gavin Newsom. Since his appointment he has presided over civil jury trials and spent two years at the Hall of Justice handling the Mental Health and Parole Courts. Judge Roeca currently is in his third year in Department 403 of the Unified Family Court. In December 2024 Judge Roeca was elected to the Executive Committee of the San Francisco Superior Court. He also serves on the Court’s Civil Grand Jury Committee. Judge Roeca is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Statewide Judicial Mentorship Program and the former chair the San Francisco Superior Judicial Mentorship Program. Judge Roeca also serves as the Northern District Representative on the Executive Committee of the Bench Bar Coalition.
Prior to his appointment, Judge Roeca was the founding partner of boutique AV rated Roeca Haas Montes De Oca LLP, an active trial lawyer and certified mediator. He tried dozens of cases to jury verdict, court trials, and arbitrations, binding and non-binding. His professional liability practice included representing attorneys, in various capacities, including efforts to recover rightfully owed attorney fees or in defense of professional liability litigation and disciplinary investigations and trials before the State Bar of California. Judge Roeca also represented former clients of attorneys. He was certified by the State Bar of California as a specialist in Legal Malpractice Law. He was also a certified mediator and successfully mediated many matters to resolution. He served the Superior Court for many years as a Settlement Conference Officer. Judge Roeca was named a “Super Lawyer” by his colleagues in the profession since 2006 and was rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell.
Judge Roeca has always been active in the community. He served from 1996 through 2005 as a Commissioner on the San Francisco Fire Commission, appointed by Mayor Willie Brown. He served many years on multiple committees and on the Board of Directors and then as President of the Bar Association of San Francisco in 2009. He previously served as a member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California from 2001 to 2004. Judge Roeca was also a member of the State Bar Committee on Professional Liability Insurance and served as co-chair from 2010 through 2012. He served on the State Bar Insurance Disclosure Task Force and on the State Bar’s Council on Access & Fairness as a founding member chairing its Judicial Committee. He served as BASF’s liaison to the Bench Bar Coalition and in 2011 the Bench Bar Coalition named him Bar Leader of the Year. He also was honored to receive the 2010 Myer J. Sankary Lawyer ofthe Year, Small & Solo Firms, by the State Bar of California.
Judge Roeca is a member of the Judicial Division of the ABA and currently represents the Bar Association of San Francisco by appointment as its Delegate to the ABA’s House of Delegates. He was a member of the Center for Professional Responsibility and chaired its Diversity Committee (2017-2019).
Judge Roeca received his B.A. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1976 and his law degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco in 1980. He was admitted to practice in California state and federal courts, and the United States Supreme Court.
Practice Area(s)
Trial
Civil Rights
Family Law
Education
J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
B.A., University of California, Los Angeles
