Chairman

Frank Barbaro

One of Orange County’s most prominent trial attorneys, Frank Barbaro is truly the passionate advocate for the underdog.  His passion and ability in trial were recently recognized by Los Angeles magazine in a survey of 65,000 lawyers in California, where he was voted one of the 100 “super lawyers” in the state.

Raised by his mother and grandmother, Frank arrived in Orange County in 1954.  He attended Garden Grove High School and then graduated Magna Cum Laude in political science from the University of Southern California.  While at USC, Frank served as Associated Men’s Students’ President (32,000 members strong) while directing all special events at the university, including concerts and halftime shows and the Coliseum and Rose Parade.  He later received the Legion Lex Scholarship to USC Law School, as well as the Warner Brothers grant and Bauer Fellowship.

After law school, Frank became more active and influential in the political community, taking over as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Orange County from Richard J. O’Neill in 1977-78.  During these two years, Frank ran a registration campaign for voters that resulted in a Democratic majority in Orange County.

Frank was also responsible for the creation of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County, which is now chaired by high school classmate Wylie Aitken.

Frank was named to chair the Orange County campaigns of President Jimmy Carter, Senator Bill Bradley, Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator Alan Cranston, and Senator John Kerry.

Since 1978, Frank has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Committee to Preserve a Responsible Judiciary, which is the funding body for all opposed Orange County judges when they are opposed in elections.  He is also a co-founder of Lex Romana, a group of Italian American lawyers who share in their Italian heritage in their monthly meetings.

Party members who have seen Frank in action know of his ability to inspire, organize, and unite various people and interests.  He believes in inclusion of all who want to help.  Of all his accomplishments, Frank’s two sons, Brett and Casey, are his proudest.