Resume

---

Hon. Victoria Wood (Ret.) established her successful track record of settling highly disputed cases during her time as a Judge for the Superior Court of Napa County where she served her community with dedication for nearly two decades. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2013, she gained extensive experience analyzing the law as a respected judicial attorney at both the trial and appellate court levels, which prepared her well for her role as a judge. 

During her judicial tenure, Judge Wood presided over complex matters in a variety of assignments, including civil, probate and family law. Her responsibilities extended to overseeing complex jury trials, appeals, and high-conflict settlement conferences. She also held diverse and impactful roles in court leadership, including serving as the Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division, Assistant Presiding Judge of the Court, Lead Judge for the Civil, Juvenile, and Family Law Divisions, as well as Judicial Liaison to the Grand Jury.

Through her work in judicial settlement conferences, Judge Wood discovered her distinct passion and talent for dispute resolution, and made the decision to focus her career on alternative dispute resolution, bringing her nearly three decades of experience in the legal profession to the team of respected neutrals at ADR Services, Inc. She has quickly accumulated a successful track record of settlements in probate, family law, appeals and a variety of civil matters, including employment, business, insurance coverage, construction defect, contract and personal injury disputes. Clients regularly provide feedback that she puts in 100% effort and time to fully understand all of the issues in the case, that she is able to connect genuinely with even the most emotional parties, and that she has the tenacity to do what it takes to get her cases “to the finish line,” even when it requires diligent follow-up after the mediation. 

Judge Wood also serves as an arbitrator, private judge and discovery referee. Her decades of experience as a judicial research attorney and judicial officer, performing the legal research and writing for tentative rulings, orders, and opinions for civil law and motion, probate, and appellate matters, make her highly qualified for and effective in these roles. With a dedication to serving the community, she also offers her services as a panel mediator for the 6th District Court of Appeal, the Alameda County Superior Court, the San Francisco Superior Court Probate Division and the Contra Costa County Superior Court.

Reflective of her passion for this work, Judge Wood also now serves as an adjunct professor teaching Alternative Dispute Resolution at UC Davis School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctorate degree in 1997. Her undergraduate degrees include a B.S. in Sociology and a B.A. in Spanish from Pacific Union College, where she graduated magna cum laude. 

• Business / Commercial Contracts
• Employment / Wage & Hour
• Environmental
• Family Law
• Medical Malpractice
• Personal Injury
• Probate, Estates & Trusts
• Real Estate / Real Property

Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Napa 2017-2024

• Presided over all types of civil, probate, family, criminal and juvenile matters, including complex jury trials, appeals and high conflict mediations in family, civil and probate matters.
• Assistant Presiding Judge of the Napa Court (2022-2023).
• Lead Judge of the Family Law Division (2022-2023).
• Lead Judge of the Juvenile Division (2022-2023).
• Lead Judge of the Appellate Division (2019-2021).
• Lead Judge of the Civil Division (2018-2021).
• Panel Judge for the Appellate Division (2018-2024).
• Judicial Liaison to the Napa County Grand Jury (2018-2021).

Commissioner, Superior Court of California, County of Napa 2013-2017

• Presided over a family law calendar that included dissolution and child custody matters, restraining orders, child support, small claims, juvenile delinquency, juvenile traffic, truancy, juvenile dependency, and emergency protective orders (2015-2017).
• Presided over a criminal calendar that included misdemeanor arraignments, settlement conferences, judicial interventions, pre-trial motions, probation revocation hearings, drug court and adult traffic court (2013-2014).

Court Counsel, Superior Court of California, County of Napa 2004-2013

• Researched and wrote tentative rulings and orders for civil law and motion and probate.
• Drafted all of the opinions for the court’s appellate division, with a published decision.
• Fielded legal questions involving all areas of law and administration of the court.
• Served as a Riese hearing officer (2006-2008) and judge pro tem (2008-2013).

Attorney, Hanna, Brophy, MacLean, McAleer & Jensen, San Francisco 1998-2000; 2002-2004

• Contract Attorney: Researched and consulted with managing partner on novel labor law and civil law issues. Drafted motions, trial briefs and appeals for managing partner (2002-2004).
• Associate Attorney: Managed caseload, planned legal strategies, advised clients, took depositions, appeared in administrative law hearings, argued law and motion and negotiated settlements. Managed firm’s law library (1998-2000)

Chambers Attorney, 1st District Court of Appeal, San Francisco 2001

• Drafted appellate opinions based upon legal research, as well as review and analysis of legal briefs and appellate record in all legal areas, with four published decisions.
• Advised and conferred with appellate justices on novel legal issues/splits of decision.

Associate Attorney, Harbinson, Carlson & Tune, San Francisco 1997-1998

• Researched legal issues and consulted with clients and law partners.
• Drafted client letters, legal memoranda, motions, trial briefs, petitions for reconsideration and petitions for review.

• Mediator, Arbitrator, Referee, ADR Services, Inc., 2024-Present
• Mediator, Alameda County Superior Court, Panel of Mediators, 2024-Present
• Mediator, San Francisco Superior Court Probate Pro Bono Mediation Panel, 2024-Present
• Mediator, 6th District Court of Appeal Mediation Program, 2024-Present
• Mediator, Contra Costa County Superior Court, Mediation Panel, 2024-Present
• Mediator, Bar Association of San Francisco Mediation Panel, 2024-Present 

• Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution: “Mediating the Litigated Case” 2024
• J.D., University of California, Davis, School of Law 1997
• Pepperdine University School of Law
• B.S. in Sociology and B.A. in Spanish, magna cum laude, Pacific Union College 1994

• Member, The Richard M. Sangster Inn of Court, 2023-Present.
• Member, National Association of Women Judges, 2023-Present.
• Member, Rules Subcommittee of the Trial Court Presiding Judge Advisory Comm., 2022-2023.
• Liaison, Judicial Council Appellate Advisory Committee, 2022-2023.
• Member, Napa County Juvenile Justice Commission, 2022-2023.
• Board Member and Past President, Napa County Law Library Board of Trustees, 2005-Present.
• Member, Napa County Bar Association, 2005-Present.
• Member and Past Treasurer, Napa County Women Lawyers, 2005-Present.
• Team Coach and Presiding Judge, Napa County Mock Trial Program, 2015-2020.
• Attorney Mentor and Presiding Judge, Napa County Peer Court Program, 2009-2020.
• Advisory Board Member, Napa Valley Education Foundation, 2017-2018.
• Member, Napa County Catalyst Coalition, 2016-2017.