Derek Westen was born and raised in Santa Barbara, attending Santa Barbara Junior and High Schools.

He received his B.A. degree from Pomona College in 1967, where he graduated with honors. He was graduated from the University of California Law School at Berkeley (Boalt Hall) in 1970 with a J.D. degree. He was awarded the Order of the Coif, graduated with top honors, and was ranked fourth in his class. He served as Note and comment Editor of the California Law Review (1969), and as Chief Articles Editor (1970).

After earning his law degree, he served as Clerk to the Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court (1970-71), and then returned to California to work with California Rural Legal Assistance, a non-profit organization devoted to providing assistance to the rural farmworker population of California. During this period he performed extensive litigation in both state and federal courts. In 1974 Mr. Westen returned to Santa Barbara to join the firm of Schramm & Raddue, of which he was an Associate, Partner and then Senior Partner for nineteen (19) years. Since the fall of 1993 Mr. Westen has continued an independent practice.

Throughout his private practice, Mr. Westen has specialized in general business law, real estate, land use, administrative, and water law, including significant administrative litigation and arbitration and mediation proceedings. His most extensive experience over recent years has been in land use and administrative law, and has included representation of a great variety of individual and large corporate land use clients.

He specializes in land use law and development, and general real estate and business. He has 30 years of experience in representing clients in Santa Barbara County in land use development matters, real estate, and general business matters. His client projects have included some of the largest and most significant land use matters in Santa Barbara County.
Mr. Westen has been active in civic affairs, serving as a member of the Board and then as President of the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County, and as a member of the Board and then President of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara/Ventura/San Luis Obispo Counties. He currently serves as a Trustee of Pomona College, as a member of the Board of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara/Ventura/San Luis Obispo Counties, as President of the Housing Foundation of Santa Barbara County, as a member of the Directors Council for the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, and is former President, current member and Chair of Development of the Board of The Foundation for Girsh Park, and Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign for the Ensemble Theatre Company.

Mr. Westen is a devoted tennis player, an avid cyclist, and a private pilot with over 30 years flying experience. He also enjoys backpacking, skiing, scuba diving and snorkeling.

Mr. Westen is married to Elizabeth (“Beth”) Westen, whom he met during their freshman year at Pomona College. Beth is an artist. They have three children, David, and twins Peter and Karen. David founded and is a principal of a successful internet educational company now based in San Francisco and Sydney, Australia, with offices throughout Asia. Peter is a software engineer for Apple Computer, and Karen , after completing a trip around the world, is currently working in Australia.

February 2004