Judicate West Adds Judge Barbara Kronlund as Neutral

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Judicate West, one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services, has added retired San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Barbara A. Kronlund to its roster of neutrals. California’s first female South Asian American judge, she served on the bench for three decades. Judge Kronlund is now available statewide as a mediator, arbitrator and private judge.

“Through thousands of court trials across nearly every area of law, Judge Kronlund has honed her ability to identify the risks involved in going to trial and to predict trial outcomes. A ’straight talker,’ she has remarkable talent in connecting with the lawyers and parties involved to understand their true interests and motivations. She has just about seen it all – a vantage point that lends distinctive insight to her role as a private judge,” said Rosemarie Chiusano Aubert, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Business Development at Judicate West. “A truly influential legal leader in the Central Valley, we are thrilled Judge Kronlund chose to join us at Judicate West, and we believe our clients will find her to be a uniquely valuable resource and a tremendous neutral.”

Throughout her tenure with the San Joaquin County Superior Court, Judge Kronlund held numerous judicial and leadership roles, including: 10 years as the court commissioner, handling civil settlement conferences and civil trials; five years in juvenile court, where she was Presiding Juvenile Judge; and 15 years in the Direct Civil department, where she served a term as the department’s Supervising Judge. Judge Kronlund managed a high-volume civil calendar, presiding over a range of complex matters, extending to all types of personal injury, including sexual assault; business/commercial; employment; government/public entity; and medical negligence. She has conducted more than a thousand civil settlement conferences.

While on the bench, Judge Kronlund was instrumental in establishing San Joaquin County’s Homeless Court in 2006 and serving as its presiding judge for 20 years. She is also credited with creating the County’s Veteran’s Treatment Court in 2015 and serving as its presiding judge for five years. Before her selection to serve as a court commissioner in 1995, Judge Kronlund was a deputy district attorney with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, where she also supervised the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit. She began her career with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office in 1987.

A member of the San Joaquin County Bar Association (SJCBA) since 1990, Judge Kronlund is a member of its Asian-Pacific Islander Section and re-established the Women Lawyers Section, serving terms as chair and vice president. She is a member of the California Judges Association (CJA), having served on the executive board from 2011-2014, as well as on the Criminal Law and Procedure Committee. In 2018, she was appointed co-chair of the CJA’s Judicial Fairness Coalition. In addition, Judge Kronlund will teach a class on criminal trial practice at Humphreys University Drivon School of Law in Stockton, Calif. in the spring.

Judge Kronlund has received numerous distinctions throughout her career, including the National American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Champion of Justice Award in 2025, the CAL-ABOTA William W. Bedsworth Judicial Civility Award in 2022, the ABOTA Sacramento Chapter “Judge of the Year” award in 2015, and the CJA Bernard S. Jefferson Award in 2011.

Judge Kronlund earned her J.D., with distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (1989) and her B.A., cum laude, from Pepperdine University (1985). She received an LLM in dispute resolution from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the University of Pepperdine School of Law (2024).

About Judicate West
For more than 30 years, Judicate West has been one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services with a distinguished roster of proven neutrals, including retired state and federal court judges plus professional attorney mediators and arbitrators from a wide variety of practice areas. Founded in 1993, the firm prides itself on maintaining the utmost integrity in delivering innovative solutions to all types of civil disputes. The firm’s successful formula involves top-tier neutrals, a great company culture and an experienced team of ADR professionals dedicated to delivering gold standard service in alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

Contact:
Melody Kleiman
Judicate West
(714) 852-5189
melody@judicatewest.com

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