James A. Bush

With over 35 years’ experience litigating matters as an attorney, and having served as a trial and appellate pro tem judge, mediator, and arbitrator, Jim calls on a breadth of experience to help clients move through the litigation process in an efficient, economical way after agreeing on the client’s goals and discussing plausible outcomes. After earning honors degrees from the University of Arizona (B.S., double major in astronomy and physics, 1978; J.D., 1981), Jim served a clerkship with Arizona Supreme Court Justice Frank X. Gordon, Jr. He then embarked on a litigation career in the private sector, first in Arizona and then, since 1998, in California. His practice evolved to focus on trusts, estates, and probate litigation before trial and appellate courts in Southern California. Matters he has litigated include challenges to trusts and wills based upon claims of undue influence, fraud, lack of capacity, or mistake; claims of breach of fiduciary duty and/or requests to change a trustee or personal representative; demands for accountings, requests to approve accountings, and objections to accountings; charges of financial elder abuse; other matters of trust or estate administration; powers of appointment; conservatorships; requests to modify estate planning documents; and distributions where there is no will or trust. In addition to representing clients, Jim also often works with other attorneys as co-counsel or as counsel to whom a litigation matter is referred. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees James A. Bush included in a Super Lawyers® list Other Sources of Feedback About James A. Bush Included on the 2026Southern California Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2025 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2021 San Diego Super Lawyers list

• Attorney

• Arizona Supreme Court Justice Frank X. Gordon, Jr., Clerk
• Maricopa County Superior Court, Judge Pro Tem
• Arizona Court of Appeals, Judge Pro Tem
• FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), Arbitrator
• Arizona Department of Education, Process Hearing Officer
• Languages
• English

• Webinar on Minimizing and Litigating Claims of Undue Influence, Fraud, Capacity, and Mistakes, Stafford Publications, Inc., 2014 - Present

• Sefton v. Sefton
• Citation: 236 Cal.App.4th 159, 187 Cal.Rptr.3d 421
• Court: CA Ct App
• Year: 2015
• Citation: 206 Cal.App.4th 875, 142 Cal.Rptr.3d 174
• Year: 2012
• Steiger v. Steiger
• Citation: No.D066774

• Judge, First Year Oral Arguments at USD School of Law
• Judge, Moot Court at USD School of Law

• California, 1998
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 2000
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1982
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1986

• Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Section of San Diego County Bar Association
• Probate Attorney's of San Diego
• Trusts & Estates Section of North County Bar Association
• Fraternities and Sororities
• Phi Kappa Phi