A recipient of the coveted Joseph M. Rosen Justice Award for Lifetime Achievement in Criminal Law, Paul Geragos has dedicated his life to the protection of civil liberties through his practice in the field of criminal law. Mr. Geragos began his 45 year distinguished legal career in 1957 as a prosecutor for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office where he rose to the rank of Senior Trial Deputy (Calendar Deputy), trying the most difficult and complex felony cases. While at the prosecutors’ office Mr. Geragos tried a number of high profile cases including the famous “rattlesnake in the mailbox case”; and was assigned in rash of bank examiner fraud cases targeting elderly depositors. Mr. Geragos also tried numerous death penalty cases during a very unfavorable time for imposition of the death penalty.

Having established a reputation as a skillful trial attorney, Mr. Geragos left the District Attorney ‘s office in 1967 to establish a private practice. Notable among the high profile cases that he tried is the case of Harry Sassounian, which was highly significant because of its’ impact on the Armenian-American community. Mr. Geragos spent many years as a sole practitioner until he was joined in the firm by his sons.

Throughout his legal career Mr. Geragos has been a guiding force in the legal profession. In 1968 he accepted an appointment from then presiding Judge Joseph A. Wapner (nationally known from the People’s Court), to draft the jury instructions used throughout California and the western United States, known as CALJIC. One of two private attorneys with such an appointment, he has been re-appointed every year since then. In addition, Mr. Geragos has served on the Criminal Law Advisory Commission, California Board of Legal Specialization; the Los Angeles County Bar Association Judiciary Committee and was an Advisory Commissioner for the State Bar of California, Criminal Law Specialization. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

His career has been in Criminal Law and Civil Litigation. He is admitted to the State Bar of California and the U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Mr. Geragos received his B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles and his LL.B. from the University of Southern California. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.