65 felonies, 25 misdemeanors, 86 bench trials, and five death penalty jury trials are significant parts of PUC alumnus Terry Bork’s, ’82, record, or shall we say his resume. With assignments such as Career CriminalUnit, Special Investigations Division, and Grand Jury Legal Advisorduring 1988 - 2007 as Deputy District Attorney in the County of Los Angeles, Terry has years of experience trying felony cases that include banking fraud and numerous murder and death penalty cases. In August 2007 his role in the courtroom changed when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Terry Bork Judge of the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles. Now he sits on the other side of the bench and presides over similar cases to those he once prosecuted. He handles jury trials and a general misdemeanor criminal calendar at the Metropolitan Courthouse in downtown L.A.

Although Terry says, “It’s just a different seat in the courtroom,” he can still point out the differences in going from attorney to judge. “I’m the umpire calling the balls and strikes. I enjoy deciding rather than being an advocate for a particular position. I enjoy making decisions in the public interest rather than arguing in favor of a position that favors the client I am representing.” Other perks he notes are not working on weekends, getting to perform marriages and adoptions, and giving litigants their "day in court." But the job doesn’t come without obvious stress and difficulty. The most daunting aspect of the job Terry says will be the first time he tries a death penalty case, because he would now be the person to give the sentence. “That’s pretty final, and you want to make sure you consider all factors and then make a wise decision, based upon existing law.”

Knowing the stakes keeps Terry on his toes and he doesn’t consider himself infallible. “I don’t often second guess my decisions but every now and then I’ll wonder if I made the best decision in a particular instance. On rare occasion I’ll recall a case in court and change my decision because I think I may have made the wrong decision.”

Terry’s faith has prepared him for life and practice as an attorney and judge, though he must strike a balance now as a judge. Although his faith brings a personal sense of fulfillment, when he is on the bench his decisions must be completely unrelated to his faith. “I make decisions on the bench based upon statutory and decisional law, and not upon my subjective opinions or personal or religious beliefs.”

Terry came to PUC in part because his parents were teachers here at PUC, his father Paul Bork, Ph.D., ’50, taught religion, and his mother, Norma Bork, Ph.D., taught in the communication department.

His educational experience at PUC had a profound impact on his life. He considered law as a career growing up but it was in Professor Henry Kopitzke’s business law class that it “clicked” for him. “I loved every minute of it and that class confirmed for me that I would apply for law school and pursue law as a career. He was a model and a mentor for me, although he may not have known it.

“PUC taught me a love of learning, and taught me to think critically. It gave me a safe environment where I could learn critical thought in a supportive environment and without being ostracized if my critical thoughts produced outrageous ideas or statements.” Terry credits the teachers for their impact on student’s lives. “It’s a debt that we couldn’t possibly repay. Goodness knows that their modest salaries don’t adequately compensate them for all that they do,” he says. “…they [are] not just interested in your academic achievements but also in your development of character and relationship to God.”

After PUC he attended law school at Pepperdine University School of Law and graduated in 1985. He then went on to study economics in a Masters program at University of Miami and practiced corporate law with one of the major international law firms in Miami for two years. It was in 1988 that Terry joined the LA county District attorney’s office as a felony prosecutor, setting him on the track to his current appointment.

Terry is married to Jane (Marxmiller) Bork, ’75, who is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Pediatrics Infectious Diseases at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. They have two children Kate, 16, and Max, 13.