University of Utah : S.J. Quinney College of Law

James R. Holbrook

Clinical Professor in Law

Before joining the fulltime faculty in 2002, Professor Holbrook taught the alternative dispute resolution course here for many years as an adjunct professor. As a lawyer, he practiced primarily in the areas of complex civil and federal white-collar criminal litigation, including service as an assistant U.S. attorney. He has mediated and arbitrated more than 600 cases dealing with a wide range of issues. He is a frequent ADR speaker, has taught mediator and arbitrator skills courses around the country, and has contributed to numerous ADR publications. His combat experience during the Vietnam war motivates his ongoing commitment to conflict resolution. He was awarded the Peter W. Billings Sr. Dispute Resolution Award by the Utah State Bar Association in 2002.

Professor Holbrook teaches lawyering skills, advanced negotiation, mediation, arbitration, alternative dispute resolution seminar, trial advocacy, and conducts the Traynor Moot Court Competition.   He was awarded the Peter W. Billings Sr. Dispute Resolution Award by the Utah State Bar Association in 2002, and he was selected as a member of the board of directors of the Historical Society of the 10th Judicial Circuit on September 9, 2006.

Scholarship Highlights

"Mandatory Binding Arbitration of Medical Malpractice Claims in Utah," Utah Bar Journal, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2003, pp.

"A Nutshell View of Arbitration," Dispute Resolution Journal, American Arbitration Association, New York, New York, August-October, 2003, p. 88 [This is a book review of Arbitration: Essential Concepts written by Steven C. Bennett.]

"A Mediator's Reflections on War and Killing," The UCCR News, Salt Lake City, Utah, Spring 2003, pp. 3 and 7

"The ABCs of Writing a Reasoned Award," Punchlist, American Arbitration Association, New York, New York, June-August 2002, pp. 1-4

"A Unified Field Theory of Mediation: Using Distributive, Integrative and Transformative Negotiation Principles in Mediation," Currents, American Arbitration Association, New York, New York, June-August 2002, pp. 1-23

"California Supreme Court Upholds Confidentiality," The UCCR News, Salt Lake City, Utah, Autumn 2001, p. 3

"Mediator Focus: Mediation Advocacy in a Nutshell," Utah Bar Journal, Salt Lake City, Utah, June/July 2001, p. 26

"Mediation Advocacy in a Nutshell," Federal Bar Association Utah Chapter Newsletter, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 2000, p. 5

Co-author with Lawrence D. Hilton, "Resolving Disputes Through Mediated Negotiation" (The San Francisco Attorney, San Francisco, California, April/May 1990), reprinted in The Proceedings of the 1997 Workshop of the 27th Annual Wichita Program on Appraisal for Ad Valorem Taxation of Communications, Energy and Transportation Properties, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, August 3-7, 1997, pp. 104-06

Co-author with Laura M. Gray, "Court-Annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution," Journal of Contemporary Law, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1995, Volume 21, pp. 1-19

"Checklist for Utah State Court-Annexed Arbitration," Utah Bar Journal, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 1995, pp. 19-21

"Effective Lawyer Preparation and Participation in Mediation: From a Mediator's Perspective," Utah Bar Journal, Salt Lake City, Utah, December 1994, pp. 16-18

"Do It Right: The Basics of Negotiation," Bar & Bench Bulletin, Salt Lake County Bar Association, Salt Lake City, Utah, Parts I and II, April 1990, pp. 3-4; Part III, May 1990, pp. 7-8

"Utah State Prisoners and Federal Habeas Corpus," Utah Bar Journal, Salt Lake City, Utah, Spring 1974, pp. 17-30