Judge Elia V. Pirozzi (Ret.) is an experienced jurist, legal author, educator, and dispute resolution professional with extensive experience in civil and criminal law, evidence, and litigation.
Judge Pirozzi began his legal career in private practice, focusing on real estate law and litigation, representing real estate brokers and agents, mortgage lending institutions, land developers, and property owners. After serving as an associate at a Southern California law firm, he established his own practice and expanded his areas of expertise to include business law and the representation of business and corporate entities.
He earned his Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law, where he received academic achievement awards in Advanced Corporate Law and International Business Transactions. He subsequently earned an LL.M., cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law, concentrating in Environmental Law and International and Comparative Law. During his graduate studies, he received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for achievement in International Business Transactions.
Appointed to the San Bernardino County Superior Court in 2007, Judge Pirozzi presided over numerous criminal and civil trials and served as Assistant Presiding Judge of the court’s Appellate Division. Following his retirement from the bench in 2021, he was appointed by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court to serve as an assigned judge in selected California criminal and civil trial courts.
Judge Pirozzi has made significant contributions to judicial education and legal scholarship. He has served on the faculty of the Appellate Judicial Attorneys Institute, presenting on criminal law topics, and as a publication consultant and faculty member for the Center for Judicial Education and Research in criminal law, civil law, and evidence. He is the author of the respected California Guide to Criminal Evidence and has written numerous law review articles and other publications for legal journals. He has also designed and developed a wide range of educational materials, bench tools, and legal resources for judges and attorneys throughout California.
His recent educational presentations include California Evidence 360: Cases and Commentary, an evidence update presented to judicial officers at the 2025 California Judges Association Spring Conference. He has also presented continuing legal education programs for local bar associations on a variety of legal topics. In 2026 and 2027, he is scheduled to present a three-part program on provisional remedies for the Beverly Hills Bar Association. He is also writing a comprehensive civil evidence treatise, scheduled for completion in 2027, for use by attorneys, judges, and law schools throughout California.
Judge Pirozzi currently serves as a dispute resolution professional, undertaking appointments as a mediator, arbitrator, court-appointed neutral (referee or special master), and temporary judge (judge pro tem).
