Beverly Wood
JUDGE BEVERLY WOOD (ret.) has a B.A. degree from University of California Berkeley and a law degree from the University of San Francisco, School of Law. Judge Wood originally practiced general litigation in San Francisco, then created a firm specializing in international transactions and business entities until joining the Freitas Law firm in 1993. At the Freitas firm Judge Wood’s work focused on representing public entities and general litigation, with limited representation for those involved in family law disputes.
In 2005 Judge Wood was invited to join the Marin Superior Court as a Commissioner, a position she held until 2013 when she was appointed to the bench by Gov. Jerry Brown. During her tenure as a judge Beverly Wood has presided over family, juvenile and criminal matters as well as specialty courts. She was the founder of Marin’s Community Court in 2011 and presided over that court for 13 years until her retirement in 2024. She has spearheaded other programs specifically aimed at improving the outcome for minors involved in the justice or dependency system. Judge Wood was an adjunct professor at University of San Francisco, School of Law for many years teaching mediation to law students. Judge Wood is a frequent presenter at programs for other judges in California, national conferences, and local education and civic programs with extensive work in the area of managing and settling high conflict Family Law disputes.
Judge Wood was inducted into Marin’s Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024 and has been recognized for her accomplishments over the years:
- Marin County SACPA/Prop 36 Team recognition of dedication, passion, and leadership, 2006
- Marin County Board of Supervisors Resolution Commending Commissioner Beverly Wood, 2009
- Distinguished Service Certificate for Outstanding Service and Commitment in the field of Probation, 2013
- Judicial Officer of the Year- Chief Probation Officers of California, 2016
- R. Chamberlin Award Northern Chapter of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2016
- Marin Trial Lawyers Judge of the Year, 2018
- Marin Foster Care Recognition of Services, 2019
- Legal Aid Lifetime Achievement Award, 2022
- Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, 2024
Judge Wood presided over a Family Law department for nine years and continued to conduct settlement conferences for Family Law matters even when assigned to other departments. Her ability to assist parties in resolving their disputes is well known in the community.