Born in 1931 in Los Angeles, Fr. Goda went to Loyola High School and Loyola University of Los Angeles, graduating in 1952 from Loyola University. He spent two years in the United States Air Force, serving as an Intelligence Officer. After one year at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, he joined the Society of Jesus in 1955. During his course of training in the Jesuits, he went back to Law School and got his degree in Law from Georgetown University Law Center in 1963. He was ordained a priest in 1966.

After two years on a fellowship for law teachers at New York University Law Center, where he received an LLM, he began teaching at Santa Clara University School of Law in 1969.

After service in the U.S. Air Force, Professor Goda joined the Society of Jesus. He spent two years on a fellowship for law teachers at New York University.

Contracts, community property, wills and trusts, and jurisprudence.

He won the Chief Justice White Moot Court Prize in 1962 at Georgetown Law Center. He was a fellow in law and the humanities at Harvard Law School in 1975–76. He was twice president of the Faculty Senate at Santa Clara University. He served 12 years on the board of trustees at Santa Clara University, and nine years on the board of trustees at the University of San Francisco. He has served on the board of trustees of Economic and Social Opportunities, the anti-poverty agency for Santa Clara County; the Advisory Board for the Young Parents Center in Santa Clara; the Biomedical Ethics Committee of San Jose Hospital, and for many years was the Chair of the California Province of the Society of Jesus Committee on Investment Responsibility.

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