About Josh Needle
State Bar No. 77560
PERSONAL DATA
Born -- Los Angeles, California
Attended Los Angeles Public Schools -- University High School
Current residence in Santa Monica, California
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
1974 - Bachelor of Arts, California State College, Sonoma -- Degree from the “Robert Maynard Hutchins School of Liberal Studies,” an innovative interdisciplinary program now nationally recognized for its excellence. Degree awarded with “Honors and Distinction.”
1972-73 - Junior Year Abroad - Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
LEGAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
1977 - Juris Doctor, Loyola University School of Law, Los Angeles.
Dean’s Honor List.
Clerkships and Internships:
Los Angeles City Attorney
Los Angeles County Public Defender
Office of the United States Attorney - Central District of California
Los Angeles Municipal Court, Judicial Clerkship.
- Judge, now Justice, Arthur Gilbert, supervisor.
1980 - College of Advocacy, Hastings College of Law.
Advanced Criminal Trials and Appeals.
BAR ASSOCIATION AFFILIATIONS
State Bar of California
United States Supreme Court Bar
Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
United States District Courts: Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California
California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
California Public Defender’s Association
Santa Monica Bar Association - Co-Founder and Former Chair, Criminal Justice Section
American Inns of Court - “Master” of the Los Angeles West (Santa Monica) Inn.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Solo practice began in December 1977 focused on criminal defense work in the State and Federal Courts at both the trial and appellate levels. Most cases and clients, with some exceptions, were neither indigent nor infamous; trials ranged from “Riding a Bicycle Under the Influence” to “Special Circumstances Murder,” i.e., the entire gamut of a general criminal practice. Notable appellate cases include the related cases of US v Simpson I (9th Cir. 1987) 813 F.2d 1462; US v. Simpson II (9th Cir. 1991) 927 F.2d 1088; US v. Eccles (9th Cir. 1988) 850 F.2d 1357 which focused on “outrageous government conduct” in violation of the Fifth Amendment Due Process clause and the Court’s “Inherent Supervisory Power” to sanction such misconduct.
I have also handled a select variety of civil trials and appeals including Shepherd v. Greene (1988) 185 CA3d 989, enforcing fee limitations upon Medical Malpractice plaintiff’s lawyers and Stannard v. City of Long Beach, No. SOC 088459 (1993), a police misconduct case that resulted in a tax-free recovery to my client in an effective amount in excess of $1,000,000.00. Click on the "cases" and "Press" links above to read about Cinquegrani v Department of Motor Vehicles, a class action that I developed and litigated in which we obtained both permanent injunctions against unconstitutional misconduct by the DMV and a $5,600,000 damages award for our class members.
Along with some of the same partners I have developed another action against the DMV in which we hope to force them to change the entire administrative adjudication system that they designed and implemented. To read about that case and follow it in real time please go to http://www.apslitigation.com.
6/94 – 8/94: Part-time consultant and on-air commentator regarding the O.J. Simpson arrest and preliminary proceedings for the syndicated television program Hard Copy.
9/94 - 5/95: Full-time consultant and on-air commentator regarding the O.J. Simpson trial for the syndicated television program Hard Copy.
6/95 - 10/95: Part-time consultant and on-air “O.J. Commentator” for Hard Copy, KCOP Channel 13, KCAL Channel 9 and other media outlets.
11/1/95: Return to law practice and (1999-2002) various non-law related entrepreneurial enterprises. Cases primarily consist of criminal trials, writs and appeals, but also include administrative matters, writs of mandamus.
1992 – Present: Rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell. (Peer Review)
2011 – Named as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” (Peer Review)
PERSONAL DATA
Born -- Los Angeles, California
Attended Los Angeles Public Schools -- University High School
Current residence in Santa Monica, California
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
1974 - Bachelor of Arts, California State College, Sonoma -- Degree from the “Robert Maynard Hutchins School of Liberal Studies,” an innovative interdisciplinary program now nationally recognized for its excellence. Degree awarded with “Honors and Distinction.”
1972-73 - Junior Year Abroad - Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
LEGAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
1977 - Juris Doctor, Loyola University School of Law, Los Angeles.
Dean’s Honor List.
Clerkships and Internships:
Los Angeles City Attorney
Los Angeles County Public Defender
Office of the United States Attorney - Central District of California
Los Angeles Municipal Court, Judicial Clerkship.
- Judge, now Justice, Arthur Gilbert, supervisor.
1980 - College of Advocacy, Hastings College of Law.
Advanced Criminal Trials and Appeals.
BAR ASSOCIATION AFFILIATIONS
State Bar of California
United States Supreme Court Bar
Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
United States District Courts: Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California
California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
California Public Defender’s Association
Santa Monica Bar Association - Co-Founder and Former Chair, Criminal Justice Section
American Inns of Court - “Master” of the Los Angeles West (Santa Monica) Inn.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Solo practice began in December 1977 focused on criminal defense work in the State and Federal Courts at both the trial and appellate levels. Most cases and clients, with some exceptions, were neither indigent nor infamous; trials ranged from “Riding a Bicycle Under the Influence” to “Special Circumstances Murder,” i.e., the entire gamut of a general criminal practice. Notable appellate cases include the related cases of US v Simpson I (9th Cir. 1987) 813 F.2d 1462; US v. Simpson II (9th Cir. 1991) 927 F.2d 1088; US v. Eccles (9th Cir. 1988) 850 F.2d 1357 which focused on “outrageous government conduct” in violation of the Fifth Amendment Due Process clause and the Court’s “Inherent Supervisory Power” to sanction such misconduct.
I have also handled a select variety of civil trials and appeals including Shepherd v. Greene (1988) 185 CA3d 989, enforcing fee limitations upon Medical Malpractice plaintiff’s lawyers and Stannard v. City of Long Beach, No. SOC 088459 (1993), a police misconduct case that resulted in a tax-free recovery to my client in an effective amount in excess of $1,000,000.00. Click on the "cases" and "Press" links above to read about Cinquegrani v Department of Motor Vehicles, a class action that I developed and litigated in which we obtained both permanent injunctions against unconstitutional misconduct by the DMV and a $5,600,000 damages award for our class members.
Along with some of the same partners I have developed another action against the DMV in which we hope to force them to change the entire administrative adjudication system that they designed and implemented. To read about that case and follow it in real time please go to http://www.apslitigation.com.
6/94 – 8/94: Part-time consultant and on-air commentator regarding the O.J. Simpson arrest and preliminary proceedings for the syndicated television program Hard Copy.
9/94 - 5/95: Full-time consultant and on-air commentator regarding the O.J. Simpson trial for the syndicated television program Hard Copy.
6/95 - 10/95: Part-time consultant and on-air “O.J. Commentator” for Hard Copy, KCOP Channel 13, KCAL Channel 9 and other media outlets.
11/1/95: Return to law practice and (1999-2002) various non-law related entrepreneurial enterprises. Cases primarily consist of criminal trials, writs and appeals, but also include administrative matters, writs of mandamus.
1992 – Present: Rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell. (Peer Review)
2011 – Named as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” (Peer Review)
