In January, after eight years on the bench, Judge Peter Kirwan stepped up to head the complex litigation department of the Santa Clara County Superior Court following Judge James Kleinberg’s retirement. Kirwan, who teaches mediation at Santa Clara University School of Law, previously supervised the court’s civil division. Earlier in his career, he founded the San Jose litigation firm Needham, Davis, Kirwan and Young. We asked how the first six months have been and what he’s learned so far on the job.
Q: What has been the biggest change in moving from the general civil bench to complex litigation?
