C L Farrell is a Southern California native. She joined Thompson & Colegate in 2022. Upon completing five years of civil law practice for an AV-rated San Bernardino law firm, she established her Inland Empire law practice in 1993, focusing on estate planning, trust and probate administration and litigation, judgment enforcement, contracts and real property matters for individuals, families and small businesses. She has most recently joined the Riverside County Bar Association Dispute Resolution Services as a mediator of probate and trust disputes. She has served as past Chair and an Arbitrator of the San Bernardino County Bar Association’s Fee Arbitration Program. She has served as Judge Pro Tem for the San Bernardino County Superior Court in Family Law and Small Claims Court. She has mediated civil law disputes for the San Bernardino County Superior Court.

C L completed her undergraduate studies in English Literary Criticism and Theory at San Francisco State University in 1979. She attended Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, California, while clerking for several established civil law firms and serving as Reference Law Librarian at Golden Gate University Law Library. She was awarded her Juris Doctor in 1982. In 1985, she joined the San Bernardino County Law Library as Head of Reference and conducted computerized education and training for attorneys and the public.

In 2009, C L co-created the University of California, Riverside Extension’s Certificate Program for Professional Fiduciary Management (now “Fiduciary Management”). She served as an Advisory Board Member and Instructor for this program, training students to effectively manage the personal and financial affairs of those who are unable to do so. Students were prepared to pass the rigorous National and California Professional Fiduciary Exams to become California Licensed Professional Fiduciaries. In 2010, C L founded and began serving as Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Osborne-Whelan Endowed Rugby (Academic) Scholarship administered by University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, California.

C L enjoys conducting genealogical research, traveling abroad in Ireland and Scotland, learning Irish Gaelic and sailing Catamarans.

Professional Affiliations:

• American Bar Association (Real Property, Trusts & Estates Law Sections), Past member
• California Lawyers Association (Trust & Estates Section), Member, 2018-date
• State Bar of California (Trusts & Estates; Law Practice Management Sections), Member, 1988-date
• Riverside County Bar Association (Trusts & Estate Planning Section) Member, 2018-date; Dispute Resolution Services, Mediator, 2022-date
• San Bernardino County Bar Association (Past Board Member; Past Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Committee; Probate & Estates Section, Past Member)
• Estate Planning Council of San Bernardino County (Past President 2008, VP 2007, Treasurer 2006, Secretary2005, Past Member, 2004-2009)
• Joseph B. Campbell American Inn of Court (Past Member)

Education:

• BA, San Francisco State University, English, 1979
• JD, Golden Gate University School of Law, 1982

Bar Admissions:

• California, 1988
• California Supreme Court, 1988
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1988
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1988
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1993