Sep 5, 2023
Hon. Paul P. Burdick (Ret.) Joins ADR Services, Inc.
Hon. Paul P. Burdick (Ret.) is a former Presiding Judge of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court. He is widely regarded as a highly skilled, experienced, and even-handed trial judge. He is recognized by the legal community as an extremely effective mediator due to his extensive experience in case evaluation, both from his judicial perspective and from his many years as a civil litigation practitioner. Additionally, his exceptional people skills serve to further enhance his effectiveness as a mediator.
During his 17-year judicial tenure, Judge Burdick primarily served in the Civil Department, with additional assignments in Probate and the Criminal Felony Department. In 2007, Judge Burdick established the Court’s innovative judicial mediation program, which replaced mandatory settlement conferences. This program involved two civil departments dedicating a full week each month to conduct judicial mediations in either half-day or full-day sessions. While managing this program, he conducted several hundred civil and probate mediations and successfully resolved over 90% of the cases he mediated.
While serving in the Civil Department, Judge Burdick efficiently managed a direct calendar, handling cases from filing to law and motion, judicial mediation, and trial. He presided over nearly 100 jury trials and scores of bench trials involving every area of civil and probate law. He was also the court’s designated CEQA judge and Complex Litigation judge. In addition to his civil assignment, Judge Burdick handled a direct Felony calendar, conducting well over 100 jury trials involving some of the court’s most serious and notorious cases. In his final seven years on the bench, he also served in the Court’s Appellate Division.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Burdick was a trial lawyer in private practice for 27 years specializing in personal injury, insurance coverage, and insurance bad faith litigation. He tried over 50 cases to jury verdict throughout California.