Utah ADR Services

Judge William B. Bohling (ret.) is a full-time, professional mediator.  He mediates a wide-range of complex, multiparty business, property and injury cases, including real estate, securities, construction, insurance, malpractice, catastrophic tort, products liability, employment and probate cases. Bohling’s successes account for his reputation as one of his state’s most skilled and sought after mediators. He also frequently lectures on various aspects of negotiation and commercial mediation. His 43-year legal career includes 3-years at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, 5-years as a law professor, 16-years in private practice, and 11-years on Utah’s district court bench. Bohling was named the Utah Bar’s 1993 Distinguished Lawyer of the Year, and its 2004 Judge of the Year. He was awarded the Utah Council on Conflict Resolution’s 2005 Peacekeeper Award and the Dispute Resolution Section’s 2010 Peter Billings Sr Award for Excellence in Mediation. His mediation training includes the Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative Program, the CDR Associates Mediation Process, and the Strauss Institute’s Advanced Mediation course. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, enjoys a Martindale-Hubbell av rating and is listed in the 2007-2011 Utah Business’ Legal Elite, the 2008-2011 Best Lawyers in America, and the 2008-2010 Mountain States Super Lawyers. 

ADR Experience and Qualifications

Judge Bohling’s mediation training and experience date back to 1993 when he joined USA&M’s mediation panel, and was appointed to the Utah federal district court’s mediation panel. After his appointment to the Utah district court bench, he became the chair of the state judicial council’s ADR committee.  For ten years he was actively engaged in promoting mediation in the state and in establishing a court-annexed mediation program.  While on the bench he presided over numerous settlement conferences and informally mediated numerous disputes. He tried State Farm Mutual Insurance Company-v-Campbell, 538 U.S. 408 (2003), among other significant civil cases. Since 1993 Judge Bohling has been a student of mediation and has sought out recognized teachers throughout the country. Following his retirement from the bench in 2004, he engaged full-time in a commercial mediation practice involving disputes between represented parties.

Background and Education

• Judge, Utah Third District Court (general jurisdiction), 1993 - 2004
• Shareholder, Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough, 1979 - 2003 (associate, 1971 - 73)
• Associate Professor (with tenure) Texas Tech University School of Law, 1975 - 78 (ass't professor, 1973 - 1975) (courses: antitrust, business torts, contracts, economic regulation).
• Trial Attorney, United States Department of Justice (Antitrust Division), 1968 - 71
• University of Michigan Law School, 1978 (trade regulation)
• MA (Economics), Texas Tech University, 1977
• JD, University of Utah, 1968 (law review)
• BS (Electrical Engineering), University of Utah, 1965

Memberships and Professional Activities

• International Academy of Mediators (2008-present)
• American Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section) 2006 - present
• Utah Dispute Resolution Board of Trustees, 2005 -2007
• Utah Council on Conflict Resolution, 2004 - present
• Chair, Judicial Council's Ad Hoc Committee on Alternate Dispute Resolution, 1994 - 2004
• Salt Lake County Mental Health Court (founding judge), 2001 - 2004
• Utah Judicial Conduct Commission, 2000 - 2003
• US District Court for the District of Utah's Roster of Mediator's, 1993 - 95, 2006 - present
• US A & M's Panel of Mediators, 1993
• Utah State Bar, 1968 - present  

Honors

• Peter W. Billings, Sr., Award for Excellence in Dispute Resolution, Dispute Resolution Section of the Utah State Bar (2010)
• Best Lawyers in America, ADR specialty (2008 - 2011 editions)
• Mountain States Super Lawyers (2008 - 2011 editions)
• Utah Legal Elite, Arbitrator/Mediator Section (Utah Business Magazine 2007 - 2011)
• Peacekeeper Award (Utah Council on Conflict Resolution), 2005
• Government Service Award (Utah Spring Mental Health Conference), 2005
• Community Hero Award (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) 2004
• Judge of the Year (Utah State Bar), 2004
• Distinguished Layer of the Year (Utah State Bar) 1994

Hourly rate $350