Overview

Paal Hjalmar Bakstad comes to LTL Attorneys with 30 years’ worth of experience in civil litigation, first as a litigation paralegal, from 1994 through 2000, then as a litigation attorney from 2001 through present.  Most of his career has been with insurance defense firms, while he also has experience as a member of the plaintiffs’ bar.  He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology, with an emphasis in experimental psychology, from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1993, also earning Dean’s Honors that year.  In 1994 he earned his paralegal certificate, with honors, from UCLA Extension.  While working full-time as a litigation paralegal at AV-rated defense firms, Mr. Bakstad studied law at Loyola Law School’s night program, earning his Juris Doctor degree.  While in law school he earned the prestigious American Jurisprudence Award for highest class grade in Civil Procedure 2.

Mr. Bakstad is admitted to practice law in all California state courts, the United States District Courts for all four California districts, as well as the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  He has also been admitted pro hac vice in U.S. district courts throughout the country.

Mr. Bakstad has practiced in areas of law including personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, professional liability, toxic torts, construction defect, trucking, insurance bad faith, and employment.  He has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, through trials and appellate practice.

Mr. Bakstad is active in the local Norwegian-American community and speaks Norwegian.

Education

• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (J.D. 2000)
• UCLA Extension (Paralegal Certificate in Litigation, with Honors, 1994)
• University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A. 1993)

Admissions

• California Supreme Court
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, Eastern and Southern districts of California, and the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Prior Affiliations

• Wilson, Kenna & Borys
• Morris, Polich & Purdy
• Hosp, Gilbert & Bergsten
• Tharpe & Howell

Publications/News

Wilshire Ins. Co., Inc. v. Sentry Select Ins. Co. (2004) 124 Cal.App.4th 27