Chuck Eckerman is a member of the California and Arizona State Bar Associations.  Chuck is a graduate of the University of Arizona Law School and St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California.  He is a former Deputy District Attorney in Phoenix, Arizona, prosecuting criminal cases for approximately five years.

Chuck is also a former attorney with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in San Francisco where, among other positions, he was Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel and worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice in prosecuting environmental crimes throughout the western part of the United States which included California, Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona and the Trust Territories.  He was later Western Debarment Counsel, reporting to the Washington D.C. office and based in San Francisco.  He was the sole EPA attorney responsible for debarring companies in the aforementioned Western states from continuing their government contracts or funding, after determining that they had violated state and/or federal environmental laws or lacked business integrity.  During periods of his tenure with EPA Chuck also acted as Regional Counsel and was Assistant Regional Counsel advising the Division Directors and other EPA senior staff on legal matters.

Chuck took his first pro bono Family Law case through Stand Against Domestic Violence in the Bay Area two years prior to retiring from the EPA.  He continued in seminars and pro bono work, and after retiring Chuck went into the practice of Family Law. The Law Office of Chuck Eckerman specializes in Family Law and Estate Planning.  This includes custody, dissolution, and guardianship matters, as well as preparation of wills and trusts. Chuck has practiced in Grass Valley since 2003.

Chuck is a member of the Nevada County Collaborative Law Practice Group, which specializes in negotiating a settlement, having first obtained agreement of the parties not to litigate the case in court.  The attorneys are teamed with a group of professionals including psychologists and financial experts; each contributing their specific expertise to reach settlement.  Chuck is also a member of the International Association of Collaborative Professionals.

Chuck is chairperson of the Family Law Section of the Nevada County Bar Association, and a member of Lawyers Referral Service, the Chamber of Commerce, and Elks Club.    

Linda Doria Eckerman, Chuck’s wife, earned her paralegal certificate from California State University in Hayward, California in 2001, as part of a career change to enable Chuck to go into private practice.  Before opening the law office with Chuck in Grass Valley, CA, Linda worked as a paralegal with two law firms in the Bay Area. She has also attended numerous courses in family law with Chuck as part of her continuing education requirements.  She is a member of the board of the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Western Nevada County, and is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).

The balance of the Law Office of Chuck Eckerman is comprised of two legal assistants: Lisa, our Office Administrator, has been a part of the Law Office of Chuck Eckerman since January 2005, and Barb since December 2005.  These professionals perform all of the daily tasks necessary to the administration of a law office and also assist Chuck and Linda and our clients in the procedural and other aspects of the practice.  Both Lisa and Barb have busy family lives and are active in the community.  They job share, and with excellent communication and organization they are able to keep the office running smoothly.