Hon. William D. Stein (Ret.)

Profile

Justice William D. Stein has been a full time neutral with ADR Services since he retired from the California Court of Appeal in 2008.  During the twenty years he served on the Court of Appeal, Justice Stein authored over two hundred published opinions covering virtually every area of the law and served on the Judicial Council’s Appellate Rules Committee.  Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeal, Justice Stein was a trial judge in the civil division of the San Francisco Superior Court for four years and the Presiding Judge of the Appellate Department.   He frequently lectures on appellate procedure, effective brief writing and conducts moot arguments for counsel with pending appeals.  As a recognized expert on appellate practice and procedure, Justice Stein is one of the most sought after consultants on appellate cases.

During his years on the bench, Justice Stein was involved in nearly every type of civil litigation including: attorney-client fee disputes, business litigation, employment discrimination and “wage & hour” violations, environmental matters, insurance coverage and personal injury cases.  Since joining ADR Services, he has served as an appellate consultant, arbitrator, mediator and discovery referee.  Justice Stein is well known and respected in the legal community for his fairness and impartiality and has a well earned reputation for a quick grasp of complex matters and strong negotiating skills.  His experience brings to settlement even the most sensitive and complex matters.

A native San Franciscan, Justice Stein received his B.A. from San Francisco State University and his J.D. from Hastings College of the Law.  After graduation, he joined the California Attorney General’s office as an appellate specialist where he briefed and argued cases before the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the California Supreme Court and the California Court of Appeal.  He was initial Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Bureau of Investigations which investigates all work place accidents resulting in the death of an employee.

Representative Cases