Resume

Hon. Alexander Williams III (Ret.)

Hon. Alexander Williams III brings over 24 years of judicial experience and more than 15 years of intensive teaching and training in dispute resolution to his ADR practice.

As a Superior Court judge in felony criminal and unlimited jurisdiction civil assignments, he presided over hundreds of jury and court trials. As he developed resolution skills, he began to settle civil cases for himself and for his colleagues on the bench. Ultimately, he was selected to serve as a full-time Settlement Judge – one of only two judges in that position at the time. In this unique judicial assignment, he resolved hundreds of unlimited jurisdiction civil cases during his last three years at the Court.

Judge Williams’ expertise in dispute resolution is not limited to his judicial experience. He supplements his work as a judge with extensive study and teaching of mediation. For fifteen years, he has served on the Adjunct Faculty at the world-renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law. In this capacity, he trains and teaches in both the academic courses and the professional programs of the Institute. He has taught judges and others about mediation around the United States and in other countries, including Nigeria, Brazil, India, France, and Australia.

Since joining ADR Services, Inc. in 2008, Judge Williams has established a robust mediation practice. He is known for being thorough in his preparation, reading all papers submitted to him, and understanding the facts and the law. In addition to his legal knowledge, he has earned praise for his natural ability to relate to people of all backgrounds. His skill in making parties feel comfortable and listening to them, while conveying their point of view to the other side, is invaluable to his success as a mediator.

Although he rose to leadership positions in the Court, the Justice Department, and the Navy, Judge Williams knows that the only authority he has in a mediation is the trust he earns from parties and counsel by the way he prepares and the way he conducts the mediation. As he is known to say, “God gave me two ears and one mouth. I am supposed to use them in proportion.”

In his free time, Judge Williams continues working to improve his Spanish, under the tutelage of his wife, Doris Weitz, a native of México and a Court-Certified Spanish Interpreter.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

Successful private practice as a Mediator, Arbitrator and Discovery Referee since 2008
Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court for 24 years (1984-2008)
Full-time Settlement Judge for 3 years (2005-2008)
Settled hundreds of major civil cases as Superior Court Judge
Adjunct Professor, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law
Co-Teacher, California Judicial College Civil Settlements Course (2004-2007)
Instructor, Los Angeles Superior Court settlement courses (2004-2007)
Frequent instructor and speaker on dispute resolution
Hundreds of hours of ADR training (Pepperdine, Harvard, ABA, et al.)
“Peacemaker of the Year,” Southern California Mediation Association (2003)

Areas of Specialization

Business / Contract
Real Estate
Housing and Habitability
Personal Injury
Employment
Civil Rights
HOA Disputes
Professional Liability

Judicial Experience

1984-2008 Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court

2005-2008 Full Time Settlement Court
1992-2005 Unlimited Jurisdiction Civil Trial Court
1984-1992 Felony Criminal Trial Court

Executive Committee, ADR Committee, California State-Federal Judicial Council, California Center for Judicial Education & Research (CJER) Governing Committee, Various other Court Committees.

Professional Experience

1980-1984       Chief Assistant United States Attorney, Central District of California, Los Angeles. Twice court-appointed United States Attorney during this period.
1979-1980       Chief, Narcotic & Dangerous Drug Section, Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
1975-1979       Assistant United States Attorney, Central District of California, Los Angeles
1969-1999       United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps Officer
  1999 Retired with rank of Captain
  1975-1999 Inactive (Reserve) Duty: U.S. & abroad
  1969-1975 Active Duty, Pearl Harbor, HI & Long Beach, CA
1967, 1969      Police Officer, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Education

1969 University of Virginia School of Law, Bachelor of Laws
1966 Yale University, Bachelor of Arts (cum laude)

Bar Admissions

Virginia (1969), California (1972), Hawai’i (1972)
United States Supreme Court
Various Federal Courts of Appeal and District Courts

Publications

“The Settlement Choice: Deal or Ordeal.” Advocate, Journal of the Consumer Attorneys Associations of Southern California. July 2007.

Professional Activities and Organizations

California Judges Association
American Bar Association (1970-2015)
California Lawyers Association: Labor and Employment Law Section; Litigation Section
Los Angeles County Bar Association: Labor and Employment Law Section; Litigation Section
Association of Business Trial Lawyers
California Dispute Resolution Council, Board of Directors (2010-2012)
Southern California Mediation Association
Judge Advocates Association
Military Officers Association of America
Association of the United States Navy