David Codell

David Charles Codell, 57, passed away May 7, 2026, at his home in Los Angeles. He touched so many lives in a positive way, and he’ll be sorely missed by his family and his dear friends.

David is survived by his siblings Steven (Tracy) Codell, Robert Codell, Barry (Betty) Codell, Neil (Carrie) Codell, and Julie (Ted Solis) Codell; and by many beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews. David is also survived by the love of his life, José Vega-Villeda, who brought joy and happiness into his life. He was predeceased by his parents, Seymour and Betty Codell.

In many ways, David lived the American Dream. He was the grandchild of immigrants and the child of working class parents, and he was a first generation college student, graduating from Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

After law school, David served as a law clerk for Judge David Tatel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and as a law clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States. He then practiced constitutional law in association with Harvard University Professor Laurence H. Tribe in Cambridge, MA. He moved to Los Angeles and worked at Irell & Manella, where he became a partner before starting his own law firm. David is remembered for his passionate pro bono representation of individuals and organizations in numerous cases that have resulted in historic rulings advancing civil rights, including the fight for marriage equality.

David was also an accomplished violin player. He started playing in fifth grade and continued for the rest of his life. His love of music was a source of happiness throughout his life.

A memorial service for David will be held on Saturday, May 23, at 2:30pm at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills, CA, in the Old North Church. A live stream of David's memorial service will be available at: https://streaming.forestlawn.com/fb683a30?&pwd=Q29kZWxs .  A recording of the service will be available shortly afterwards at the same link.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in David’s memory to the National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) at https://www.nclrights.org/get-involved/in-honor-in-memoriam/form-honor/ .