Obituary

Celebrating the Life of
Chief Bankruptcy Judge Theodor C. Albert, Jr.

Surrounded by his family and close friends, Chief Bankruptcy Judge Theodor Charles Albert, Jr., Central District of California, died on May 5, 2025. He will be long remembered for his keen intellect, kindness, inclusiveness, passion for the law, and profound commitment to public service.

Judge Albert was born in 1953 at the Fort Sill Army base in Oklahoma. He graduated from J.A. Rowland High School before receiving his bachelor’s degree in history from Stanford University in 1975, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 1978.

Early in his legal career, he began specializing in insolvency law.

In 1983, Judge Albert worked for Buchalter, Nemer, Fields & Younger. A few years later, he was appointed as a Chapter 7 trustee.

In 1995, Judge Albert co-founded Albert, Weiland & Golden, a boutique bankruptcy firm where he practiced until his appointment to the bench.

On June 1, 2005, Judge Albert was appointed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California. He was re-appointed to a second 14-year term in 2019.

Judge Albert was named Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California Bankruptcy Court on January 1, 2022.

He also taught insolvency related courses at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law for 14 years while on the bench.

Upon Judge Albert’s appointment as Chief Bankruptcy Judge, his former law partner, Michael Weiland, shared that Judge Albert was “intelligent, a gifted writer, witty, open minded, fair, patient, humble and loyal.” Weiland praised Chief Judge Albert as a highly respected jurist and noted the myriads of contributions that he made to the attorneys and colleagues that he mentored over the years.

Among other things, Chief Judge Albert had a deep interest in Roman law, as evidenced by a publication of a legal treatise on the early Roman origins of bankruptcy law. He also was an avid American Civil War enthusiast, participating in authentic reenactments as a Union Army private.

Chief Judge Albert was buried in a private ceremony in Monterey, California. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Gaskell Albert, his sons Brendan Albert, Brian Albert, Sean Van Braden, and Casey Braden and his four grandchildren.

There will be a celebration of his life on June 8, 2025, from 2:00-4:30 p.m., at The Richland (137 E. Maple Avenue, Orange, CA 92866).

Contributions in memory of Chief Judge Albert can be sent to the Stanford Cancer Institute, and to the City of Hope which has established a dedicated donation page in tribute to Judge Albert.

City of Hope Online Donations:
https://ourhope.cityofhope.org/TheodorCAlbert. Please add “Hon. Theodor C. Albert” to the memo line.

Stanford Cancer Institute Online Donations:
https://give.stanford.edu/med/cancerdiscovery?olc=42250.