Hon. Leland Anderson

Judge Anderson is an arbiter, mediator and arbitrator who served as a trial lawyer or jurist for most of his entire professional life. Though he on occasion performs arbitration work, his decided preference is mediation work. He has worked seven years in conflict resolution at Judicial Arbiter Group, Inc. He draws upon wide‐ranging interests in law, ethics, art, philosophy, psychology and literature to seek creative answers to complex and difficult legal disputes. His interests range from commercial litigation including construction disputes, buy‐outs, and real‐estate development and property disputes to personal injury and professional malpractice disputes. He seeks to structure a productive and efficient mediation environment where clients are urged to think creatively with open minds, taking into account the perspective of the adversary as well as the vagaries of costly litigation in weighing the risks and benefits of proceeding toward settlement or trial.

Judge Anderson seeks to build healthy and professional relationships among litigants and counsel with the goal of fostering win/win results in his mediation work. Judge Anderson believes that cases should be mediated with sincerity, openness and good humor (whenever possible). He desires to make the mediation experience a positive learning experience for everyone regardless of the outcome. He believes the law is at its best when it serves as an instrument of resolution and reconciliation rather than an instrument of retribution and retaliation. He sees each case as unique and strives to design the mediation conversation in such a way as to uncover the best arguments from all sides in order that the issues are rigorously clarified and carefully weighed in the balance. He does not perceive compromise as a weakness. He views it as a strength requiring important life‐skills of wisdom, experience, and grace. In Judge Anderson’s view, the best mediation is not one where all sides are equally unhappy. The best mediations result in all sides feeling proud of their work, ability to adapt, and their wisdom in bringing the controversy to an end.

• J.D. University of Denver College of Law, Denver, Colorado, 1975 Associate Editor, Denver Law Journal American Jurisprudence Award
• B.A. North Park College, Chicago, Illinois, 1970. Summa Cum Laude Yearbook Editor, Class President, Deans List First Place, Bedford Creative Writing Contest

• American Bar Foundation Fellow
• Colorado Bar Association and Denver Bar Association
• Trial Lawyer of the Year, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, awarded in San Francisco, California 1993
• Donald Hoagland Award for Legal Services to the Poor 1993
• Colorado State Senate Commendation for Legal Services 1993
• Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors 1998
• President, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association 1995
• President, Colorado District Judges Association 2001
• Co‐Chair Magistrates Committee, Blue Ribbon Governor’s Task Force on Civil Justice Reform 1999
• Colorado Supreme Court, Court Access Committee 2001-2003
• Award of Merit (highest honor First Judicial District Bar Association) 2007

$450.00 per hour