New Superior Court Judge Is Formally Sworn In to Bench

Thierry Colaw, a longtime civil litigator in Santa Ana, was appointed this week by Gov. Pete Wilson as Orange County’s newest Superior Court Judge.

At a formal swearing-in ceremony at the Old Courthouse in Santa Ana on Friday, Presiding Superior Court Judge Theodore Millard called Colaw’s appointment “a great day for the Superior Court and for the citizens of Orange County.”

Colaw, 50, was praised by colleagues, who described him as a respected attorney with high ethical standards and a deep love of the law.

He was a personal injury specialist with the law firm of Hunt, Colaw & Adams for nearly 20 years.

“Even the insurance companies liked him,” said Vernon Hunt, one of the firm’s senior partners. “And when the people who are against you like you, that’s pretty good.”

He also has been an active member of the legal community in Orange County, serving as president of both the Orange County Trial Lawyers Assn. and the Orange County Barristers.

He was also a member of the board of the Orange County Bar Assn. for many years.

Colaw was informally sworn in on Tuesday morning because he needed to get right to work on the 500 cases presently scheduled to be heard in his courtroom. Befitting his experience, Colaw was assigned to hear civil cases.

After taking his oath and donning his robes, Colaw told a gathering of friends, family and judges that the cumulative experience of his life had been in preparation for this moment.

“I promise I will be the best judge I can,” he said.