Judge Steven R. Van Sicklen: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Hon. Steven R. Van Sicklen (Ret.) was a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Pete Wilson in 1998. Van Sicklen retired on November 1, 2016.

During his judicial tenure, he presided in Compton and in Torrance. Van Sicklen also served as the Southwest District supervising judge for three years and was the assistant supervising judge (2005 to 2006) and supervising judge (2007 to 2008) of the downtown criminal courts.

Prior to his appointment, he was a partner at the Irvine law firm of Baker, Silberberg & Kenner, where he handled civil defense cases for thirteen years. Before that, Van Sicklen practiced at law firms in Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Monterey.

He also had a three-year stint as a deputy district attorney with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.

Van Sicklen received a B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1969. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1972.

He was admitted to practice in California (1972), the United States District Court for the Central District of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

Van Sicklen is a native of Oakland, California. While attending university, he worked as a model and an actor to help support his education. His late father, the Hon. Frederick Van Sicklen (deceased), sat as a judge for the Alameda County Superior Court.

He served as a member of the Domestic Violence Practice and Procedure Task Force.