L.A. Lawyer, Ex-Judge Expected to Be Federal Court Nominees

A former Superior Court judge and a Los Angeles attorney specializing in civil litigation are expected to be nominated soon by President Reagan for federal judgeships in Los Angeles, The Times learned Wednesday.

Federal government sources said the nominations of former Superior Court Judge Dickran M. Tevrizian Jr., 45, and J. Spencer Letts, 50, both Republicans, are expected to be announced by the White House by the end of the week.

The sources said the men were recommended for nomination recently by Republican Sen. Pete Wilson, California’s junior senator, after the two were screened by his judicial advisory committee. The group advises Wilson on attorneys qualified for federal judicial appointments.

Senate Action Needed

Once nominated, the men face confirmation by the Senate.

Tevrizian, who lives with his wife and two daughters in Pasadena, was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court bench by then-Gov. Reagan in 1972.

He was elevated to a Los Angeles Superior Court judgeship in 1978 by then-Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., a Democrat. He left the bench to go into private practice in 1982.

Tevrizian earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from USC.

Letts, associated with the Los Angeles law firm of Latham & Watkins, has been involved in civil litigation during his legal career, primarily concentrating on corporate finance and international credit.

Headed Semiconductor Firm

He served for a time as head of Semtech Corp., a Newbury Park semiconductor manufacturer.

A native of New Jersey, Letts earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale and his law degree from Harvard. He and his wife have two sons and a daughter; they live in Rolling Hills.

The nominations, if approved, will fill two of three vacancies that exist within the Central District of U.S. District Court, which covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.