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John P. Erlick

Retired King County Superior Court Judge 

Judge Erlick brings to mediation and arbitration 40 years of experience as a trial judge and civil litigator. Judge Erlick spent nearly twenty years on the King County Superior Court bench, where he was highly regarded for his expertise in handling complex civil matters, including class action, medical and legal malpractice, employment, personal injury, asbestos, insurance and commercial cases and was consistently rated one of the top judges on the court. As a practitioner, Judge Erlick focused his practice on professional liability, insurance coverage, complex commercial and securities fraud litigation cases. He litigated cases in state and federal court at both the trial and appellate levels.

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Experience and Specialties

Judge Erlick has been dedicated to the training and teaching of judges and law professionals in legal ethics, serving as an adjunct professor in professional responsibility at Seattle University School of Law since 2007 and teaching and training around the world. In addition to authoring many articles on professionalism and ethics, Judge Erlick has also lectured on these and other topics at judicial conferences, bar
association meetings, and law schools.

Judge Erlick has extensive experience with ADR. As a settlement conference judge, he has facilitated resolutions in a wide range of civil cases. While in private practice, he served as an arbitrator under the court’s civil arbitration department.

Special Honors, Memberships, and Education

Judicial:

  • King County Superior Court, 2001-2020.

  • Member, Court’s Executive Committee; Chair, Ex Parte
    and Probate Committee; Chair, ADR Committee; Member,
    Governance Committee; Jury Committee

  • Chief Civil Judge

  • Dean, Washington State Judicial College

  • Chair, Superior Court Judges Association (SCJA) Ethics Committee

  • Member, SCJA Education Commission

  • Member, SCJA Mentorship Committee

  • Member, SCJA Ethics Advisory Committee

  • Member and Executive Committee, Washington State
    Commission on Judicial Conduct

  • President, William Dwyer Inn of Court

  • Judge of the Year, American Board of Trial Attorneys,
    Washington Chapter

  • Outstanding Judge of the Year, King County Bar Association

  • Judge of the Year, Washington State Association for Justice

  • Cardozo Society of Washington, L’Dor V’Dor award

 

Legal: 

  • Private practice, 1981-2001

  • Member, Fair Campaign Practices Committee

  • Member, Washington State ADR Committee

  • Outstanding Faculty Member, Seattle University School of Law

  • Beaudry Fellow

Education:

  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, with honors; Editor, Law and Policy in International Business

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