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Theresa A. Goldner is a former United States Magistrate Judge and Kern County Counsel and has been handling litigation and transactional matters since returning to private practice in 2017. Theresa has over 25 years of trial experience in state and federal courts, and 13 years of experience on the federal and state court benches. Theresa’s civil practice experience is extensive, representing clients in governmental matters, complex contract disputes, real property and land use, environmental lawsuits, ethics compliance, and employment matters.

Practice Focus

• Government Law
• Elections
• Business Transactions
• Civil Litigation

Prior Experience

Theresa began her career in 1982 as an associate at Pettit & Martin in San Francisco, before moving to Bakersfield where she practiced real estate law and civil litigation. In 1996, Theresa joined the Kern County Superior Court bench as its general law Court Commissioner, handling civil, criminal, probate, juvenile, and family law trials and other proceedings. In 2003, Theresa was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, where she handled civil and criminal trials and other federal court proceedings in Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, and Edwards Air Force Base. In 2009, Theresa was appointed as the Kern County Counsel, where she represented the Kern County Board of Supervisors and other county boards, agencies, departments, and commissions, and numerous Kern County Grand Juries.

Education

• University of California Los Angeles School of Law, J.D. - 1982
• University of California, Davis, B.A. Economics - 1979

Admissions

• California
• U.S.D.C. Eastern District of California
• U.S.D.C. Central District of California
• U.S.D.C. Northern District of California

Professional Associations and Memberships

• California Grand Jurors Association, Legal Trainer, 2017-Present
• Kern County College of Law (Monterey College of Law), Adjunct Professor, 2017-Present
• California State Association of Counties Litigation Oversight Committee, Member, 2012-2016
• County Counsel Association of California, Member, 2009-2016
• Open Doors to Federal Court Programs, Moderator, 2004-2008
• Federal Magistrate Judges Association, Member, 2003-2009
• Kern County Bar Association, President, 1994, Member, 1984-Present
• California Pacific School of Law, Adjunct Professor, 1997-2000
• California State University, Bakersfield, Law Instructor, 1995
• Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc., Board of Directors, 1986-1996