History

The original founders and their successors have a long history of community involvement, civic pride and high ethics. In Yale Griffith’s words, “my father set a very high standard of integrity and credit and fairness” and it is the goal of the successors to honor that history and maintain that standard.

1924

Robert Thornburgh (2nd row, 3rd from right) was a member of the 1950-51 Stanford Law Review editors, which also included Sandra Day O’Connor (front row, 2nd from left) and William Rehnquist (back row, far left).

Griffith & Thornburgh, formed over one hundred years ago, is the oldest law firm in Santa Barbara. The firm was established in 1924 when William Griffith, a solo practitioner since 1891, joined with Laselle Thornburgh, a recent UC Berkeley law school graduate, in 1924.

William was a skilled trial lawyer and civic leader, including having served on the Santa Barbara School District Board of Education. Lasalle was also a trial lawyer and widely recognized for his handling of many of the most significant cases in Santa Barbara.

Yale Griffith and Robert Thornburgh, sons of the two partners, continued the practice for many years. Yale was a graduate of Harvard Law, while Robert attended Stanford, where he was an editor of the Law Review along with Sandra Day O’Connor and Willian Rehnquist (see photo).

Over the following years, the firm maintained its tradition of attracting top law school graduates from prominent institutions who devote their careers to practicing at Griffith & Thornburgh.

1925

Laselle Thornburgh
1898 – 1973

1966

William G. Griffith
1867 – 1949

The firm’s ten lawyers represent and advise a diverse mix of institutions, businesses and individuals across a wide range of legal matters. Since 1966, they have maintained the same third floor offices at 8 East Figueroa Street.