CALIFORNIA LAW BUSINESS MONDAY, AUGUST 21 , 1989 / PAGE3

CLB Spotlights:

Andrea Ordin Handles Dizzying Array Of Duties

She has also argued before the U.S. Su- opposite side of the table. that the Attorney General's Office supports a
By Patricia Aarsvold preme Court, representing the state in Nol- After years of negotiation, the parties finally particular position. ·
Ian v. California Coastal Commis.sion-last arrived at a stipulated judgment determining Such was the case in Nollan. The issue was
When Andrea Sheridan Ordin decided to year's leading case on the constitutional the process and monitoring method for the whether the Coastal Commission's require-
become a government attorney in 1965, her " taking" issue. multimillion-dollar cleanup effort. ment that private property owners provide
concern over male domination of the pri- Working in Momentous Areas Ms. Ord.in has allJ9 been involved in negotia- public access to the beachfront was consti-
vate bar was a key factor. But that only goes tions over the proposed Alpha Beta/Lucky tutional, or was a state taking of private
A typical day for Ms. Ordin is filled with property without just compensation. .
to show that often it's an accident of circum- stores merger. American Stores, a food chain
telephone calls to and from the public rights conglomerate based in Salt Lake City, pur- ' 'The Court had not dealt with that taking
stance which helps us find our niche in life.
division's other offices in San Francisco, Sacra- issue over a series of other decisions, " ex-
She was offered a job as a deputy attorney chased Lucky Stores Inc. in June 1988 for $2.5
mento and San Diego. Much of her law work plains Ms. Ord.in, ' ' and we knew it was very
general in the California Justice Depart- billion and announced it would merge Lucky
involves engaging in negotiations and editing with its Alpha Beta stores. important. ''
ment. She accepted it, says Ms. Ord.in, be-
pleadings and briefs. It was her first time before the highest
cause at the time " the doors of the private The Attorney General's Office, arguing that
''I am fortunate because the areas of civil court of the nation. ' 'But in my earlier years
bar were only open a crack to women law- the merger would violate federal antitrust laws,
rights and protection of the environment are of as a lawyer, I spent a great deal of time in
yers. But the government was inviting us obtained a preliminary injunction last Septem-
real moment to me," Ms. Ord.in comments. the courts of appeal," she says, " so I was
in. " ber. But "there is also a proceeding before the
•'This position gives me the opportunity to comfortable with the arena.''
Now Ms. Ordin is California's chief assis- 9th Circuit to release the stay," says Ms. Ord.in,
work in those fields." She continues, " It's impossible not to be
tant attorney general. Located in Los Ange- ' 'unless we post a $16 million bond-which we
One such opportunity was provided by Aero- struck by the aura of that institution. But I
les, she heads the Justice Department's cannot pay and should not be required to pay
jet General Corporation's 21,000-acre property was also struck by the vigor of the ques-
statewide 110-attorney public rights because of the public interest nature of this
in Rancho Cordova, among the largest hazard- tions-both by Justice Scalia and Justice
division. case." .
ous waste sites in the country. Ms. Ord.in was a Marshall-from very different points of
She's playeg a key role in some pretty Comfortable in the Appellate Arena
member of a negotiating team made up of view, but held with equal intensity."
important consumer and environmental
attorneys from the EPA and the Justice Depart- Ms. Ord.in doesn't often get personally in- Although the decision went against the
matter_,s, including the proposed merger of
ment in Washington, D.C., and from the state volved in litigation. She will, however, argue Commission by a 5 to 4 vote, Ms. Ordin says
the Alpha Beta and Lucky supermarket
Health Services Department and Water Board. cases she's been involved with since their in-
chains, and negotiations over cleanup of the
Private counsel representing Aerojet sat on the ception, or when she wants to clearly convey Please see ORDIN, Page 8
Aerojet hazardous waste site. •
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CALlFORNIA LAW BUSINESS

OR.DIN
From Page 3

lhe landmark ruling should be limited by Ila

facts. She predicts, "As time goes on, it will
be narrowed. "
Representing County, State & U.S.
Ms. Ordin's first government job opened her
eyes LO a different cype of practice than she had
previously contemplated for herself. " Govem-
menL law can be the mo.st varied practice of
any," she explains. "You can be counselor or
litigator, on the civil or criminal side."
She's done iL all in her journey LO her current
Job. In her first seven-year tour with the Attor-
ney General's office, Ms. Ordin was assigned to
the criminal appeals, coMJmer protection and
constitutional rights sections. She handled civil
and criminal trials and appellate cases.
In 1975, she became assisLanL district attor-
ney-the third-ranking position-in the 50().
lawyer Los Angeles County District Attorney's
Office. HerJob involved administrative respon-
sibilicy for lawyers in the coMJmer and envi-
ronmental protection and juvenile divisions.
She slso headed the special investigations divi-
sion, which investigates charges of police mal-
practice and governmental corruption.
She moved from the councy LO federal level
in 1977, when she was appointed U.S. Attor-
ney for the central district. of California. In that
position she admini.stered and directed litiga-
tion for the 97-attomey civil, criminal and tax
divisions. Robert Levins
Then in 1983 she returned LO the state Jus- Andrea Ordfn
dce Depa,trnenL' In her present position she
takes responsibilicy for administering sections Salling With an Open Briefcase sources available for government lawyen, tlWl eight years, and I'm coming up on
dealing with consumer Jaw, natural resources, which diminishes their ability LO compete eight years here."
Ms. Ordin and husband Robert Ordin, part.
land, the environment, antitrust matters, char- on behalf of the people. But ahe adds, "I am She doubts that she'll be running for any
ner at Loeb & Loeb, have combined careers
Jtable trusts and civil rights enforcement. constantly buoyed tiy the fact that we are political office. "The difficulty of campaign-
and home li!e 26 years. 'Even IC
. W~ F a r a ~ ,GmtlerBar either or both of us ha, LO work on a Salurd,;v recruiting people of s u c h ~ We ing and raising money make i1 an unrealistic
r Suncla,y;" she comments, "we're based on aee· a commitment to euellen.ce in this of. possibility,·--,.,.,_
.·• ..-f t,q,d!n took a break from the practice of
govemrnent Jaw in 1973 LO become director of our sailboat over the week~ds. fice, throughout the divisions and Ma. Ordin smiles easily, which seema a
the LosAngeles Councy Bar Association, where statewide." reflection of her general altitude. " I lr:now
she se,ved for two years. Through various bar "It's a break from the routine and is wonder- I'm fortunate. And I recognize that some
adivilies at that time, she became acquainted ful relaxation," she continues. "There's some- There are no immediate plans for change lawyen a1 the end of 25 years of practice
with O'Melveey & Myers partner William W. thing very different about sitting on the stem of in Ms. Ordin's future. But wilh a smile she say they should, could or would have done
_ Vaughn. Last' :j,ear they had reason LO work a sailboat-even if your briefcase is open." says, "Looking baclc over my career, J don't it differently. But," she adds, "I can't say
She is concerned about the dwindling re- think J've stayed in any one office more that."
together when Ms. Ordin became a member of
the Councy Bar's committee on professional-
ism, chaired by Mr. Vaughn.
"I've never seen her lose her temper, her
sense of humor or her balance," 5aiY· Mr.
Vaughn. "Over the years, she has worked her
way up through the ranks, gaining and holding
the respect of those with whom she works and
against whom she appears."
He adds that Ms. Ordin is a valued member
of the professionalism committee. "She's been
a mainstay," Mr. Vaughn adds, "working hard
and contributing her knowledge and insight LO
the commltt.ee's analysis and ;ecommenda-
tl<ms."

Ms. Ordin believes there's areal necessity for

the committee's work. "Although the practice
of law has never been perfect, whelher it's
because of ~ s economic pressures or lhe
extraordinary size of the bar, the appropriate
professional manner for dealing lawyer LO Jaw.
yer-in discovery, pleadings, negotiations, and
such-seems LO have broken down.
''We are trying LO focus on recommendations
for professional Wll,YS in which attomeys should
deal with eachot(ler," she explains. "We want
LO encourage and retain vigorous advocacy, but
without the kind of personal animosicy and
misuse of the syat.em to attain an advantage
that we see toda_y.''
Ms. Ordin ls currently senior vice president
of the County Bar. "That would mean- if I
oontinue to be elected-that I'll be president in
1991," she seys.