Jeffrey Belton

Biography

Before accepting a full-time teaching position with Pepperdine, Professor Belton was a practicing attorney and owner of a successful real estate brokerage. His primary practice areas included construction and HOA litigation, real estate, class actions, and appeals. He also litigated cases in bankruptcy court. Professor Belton worked as corporate counsel for homeowners' associations and served as appellate counsel for several law firms. He argued numerous cases before the California Courts of Appeal and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He participated in hundreds of mediations while representing plaintiffs in mass tort and class action cases in both state and federal court. His cases generated approximately $80 million in settlements and verdicts.

Professor Belton received the David McKibbin Excellence in Teaching Award as the law school’s top adjunct professor in 2020. He has taught Honors Appellate Advocacy for the law school, and Introduction to U.S. Law for the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. He has also taught Introduction to U.S. Law, Torts, Property, Practical Litigation, and Law in Practice for Pepperdine's Master of Legal Studies program. Professor Belton was selected for admission into the Los Angeles County Bar Association's prestigious program for advanced trial training. He tried criminal cases to verdict as a volunteer prosecutor with the Ventura County District Attorney. During law school, Professor Belton competed on the moot court team and was a member of the Order of Barristers.

Professor Belton is a member of the California and Nevada State Bars and has been admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

 

Education

• J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law, 2005, cum laude

• B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 2002, cum laude