.jpg)
Judge Jim Bertoli (Ret.) Honored with Youth Ag & Leadership Foundation’s Alumni Recognition Award
Jim Bertoli, a retired Sonoma County Superior Court judge whose distinguished legal career was greatly influenced by his experiences as a 4-H Club member, is the recipient of the 2025 Youth Ag & Leadership’s Alumni Recognition Award.
The annual award, given by the Youth Ag & Leadership Foundation of Sonoma County, honors a former member of the 4-H or FFA who continues to uphold the values of leadership, citizenship and community service that are the hallmarks of those organizations. Jim Bertoli’s life of public service and community leadership epitomize what 4-H and FFA are all about.
​
“Over the years I have made presentations to many diverse groups of people and I always tell them that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the values and skills I acquired as a 4-H Club member. There are so many aspects of 4-H, like public speaking, respect for others, punctuality and personal responsibility that have resonated in my career as an attorney and a judge,” said Judge Bertoli, who is 64 and a proud graduate of Sebastopol’s Analy High School where he played football and baseball and was on the wrestling team.
​
Judge Bertoli will be honored at the foundation’s annual fundraiser on Aug. 23 at Richard’s Grove and Saralee’s Vineyard, the Windsor wine estate created by Richard and Saralee Kunde and is now part of Jackson Family Wines.
“I am extremely honored to receive this award because 4-H has been such a part of my everyday life,” said Judge Bertoli.
​
Growing up in Sebastopol, Judge Bertoli, the son of Bert and Lona Bertoli, was a nine-year member of the Apple Blossom 4-H Club, completing projects in market lambs, woodworking and climatology. He was the state winner in climatology.
“I have incredible memories of showing lambs at the Sonoma County Fair and attending 4-H club meetings with great mentors who guided me. Through 4-H I developed lifelong friendships that I value to this day,” said Judge Bertoli who lives in Windsor with his wife Noel. A staunch supporter of 4-H, Judge Bertoli has been a director of the Youth Ag and Leadership Foundation for 20 years, serving on the Scholarship and Center Management committees. On occasion he used his training to add insight into legal issues that arose at the foundation.
​
Additionally, he is the lead singer in a country band called Court ‘n’ Disaster that has provided the musical entertainment at the Youth Ag & Leadership Foundation’s annual BBQ fundraiser for many years. The group will be there for this year’s fundraiser on Aug. 23.
​
He retired last year as a Superior Court Judge after 24 years on the bench. His legal career spanned nearly 40 years and over those years he would often think about how his 4-H experiences – logical evaluation, debate and speaking on your feet – helped him maneuver many challenges.
​
After graduating from Analy, Judge Bertoli attended Santa Rosa Junior College and then received his Bachelor’s Degree in economics from the University of California, Davis. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
​
He was in private practice for 14 years handling cases involving labor and education law, personal injury, probate and business and family law. He became best known as a family law judge, serving as supervising family law judge for the courts for nearly a decade. During that time, he heard thousands of family law cases.
​
Judge Bertoli was honored with the prestigious Rex Sater Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions in family law.
​
Again, going back to his 4-H experience Judge Bertoli said he used compromise and creativity to resolve court cases.
​
“In my many years on the bench, I learned that every case has a solution,” said the judge. “Your ability to resolve your case grows with everyone’s willingness to compromise and everyone embracing creative problem solving.”