RIP Hon. Manuel L. Real

[Bob78164]

Judge Manny Real died on Wednesday at age 95. He was a legendary and controversial figure in the Los Angeles legal community. He was appointed to the federal bench by President Lyndon Johnson and served as an active judge for 52 years, until he took senior status less than a year ago. Judge Real continued to handle cases until his death -- in fact, we currently have three motions for summary judgment pending before him that now will have to be reassigned.

Judge Real was uniformly described as personally charming by those who met him off the bench. On the bench, he was (to put it tactfully) a commanding presence. My own experiences before him were good -- his rulings in my favor on summary judgment several years ago were the first major victories that I could claim credit for myself. And if you remember the Ninth Circuit argument that I linked a couple of years ago -- that was another Judge Real ruling in my clients' favor on summary judgment, which the Ninth Circuit affirmed. --Bob