Born in Santa Monica, California, Guilford received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1972.

While working on his undergraduate degree he served as president of the Sigma Pi fraternity chapter at UCLA.

[3] He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the UCLA School of Law in 1975.

He was in private practice in Costa Mesa, California, from 1975 to 2006.

On January 25, 2006, Guilford was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California vacated by Dickran Tevrizian.