Legal Career
Davies retired from swimming and returned to the University of Michigan to study law for two years before doing an exchange year at the University of Sydney and then transferring to the University of California Los Angeles, where he completed his degree in 1959. He married and settled in Pasadena, California, taking United States citizenship and passing the bar examinations to become an attorney.
From 1960 to 1971 Davies was associated with, and then became a partner of Hagenbaugh, Murphy & Davies where he specialized in litigation and tried many cases in the areas of personal injury, products liability, medical malpractice, construction and insurance coverage. Davies joined the Beverly Hills, California firm of Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman in 1971, becoming a partner in 1972, practicing litigation. He represented major motion picture studios and entertainment companies.
On 22 April 1986, Davies was nominated by president Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California vacated by Cynthia Holcomb Hall. Davies was confirmed by the United States Senate on 6 June 1986, and received his commission on 9 June 1986. He was well regarded by attorneys who practiced in his courtroom. They sometimes referred to him outside the Courtroom as "the Swimmer," but only in a well-meaning way.
Davies presided over the trial of a group of Los Angeles Police Department officers charged in relation to the Rodney King incident in 1992. In 1993 he was named District Judge of The Year by the Criminal Justice Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and he received the Congressional Certificate of Special Recognition for Exemplary Performance. He also received the Daniel O'Connell Award from the Irish American Bar Association. He retired from the bench on 18 July 1998. He continues to practice law privately, mostly as a private arbitrator or "rent-a-judge." He has two adult children.
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