The Honorable Zuberi B. Williams (Ret.) is a former Maryland District Court Judge and Administrative Law Judge with more than fifteen years of judicial, litigation, and dispute-resolution experience. He serves as Chair of Bayard, P.A.’s Business ADR Practice and is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediation Panel. Judge Williams mediates and arbitrates commercial, employment, intellectual-property, government, civil-rights, and complex civil disputes, bringing a practical, people-centered approach focused on durable resolution. He also teaches law at Georgetown University Law Center and American University Washington College of Law.
Education
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY – KOGOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Washington, D.C.
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Management and Entrepreneurship May 2005
- JD/MBA Joint Degree Recipient
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY – WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW
Washington, D.C.
Juris Doctor (JD) May 2003
- Bar Admissions: Maryland (2003); US District Court Maryland (2007); District of Columbia (2008)
- American University’s Administrative Law Review
- Edward J. Walker Clinical Scholarship Recipient
- WCL Commencement Student Speaker (2003)
- Business Law Society
- Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic (Student Attorney)
TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (TCU) – NEELEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Fort Worth, TX
Bachelor of Business Administration – Marketing May 2000
- Minor in Spanish Language and Culture
- TCU Academic Scholarship & Grant Recipient
Experience
BAYARD, P.A.
Wilmington, DE
Partner & Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice
October 2025 – Present
- Leads the firm’s nationwide Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practice, serving as mediator and arbitrator in commercial, employment, civil rights, intellectual property, and family business disputes.
- Designs and facilitates mediation processes emphasizing fairness, efficiency, and lasting resolution across diverse legal and cultural contexts.
- Advises corporations, law firms, and government entities on conflict management systems, negotiation strategy, and dispute prevention frameworks.
- Provides tailored ADR training for attorneys, executives, and legal organizations, integrating judicial insight, negotiation science, and practical resolution tools.
DISTRICT COURT OF MARYLAND
Rockville, MD
Associate Judge
January 2015 – July 2025
- Presided over high-volume civil dockets involving complex contract disputes, negligence claims, business and commercial matters, personal injury, landlord-tenant, and constitutional/civil-rights litigation.
- Presided over trials and hearings in a wide range of criminal matters, including assault, domestic violence, burglary/theft, protective and peace orders, DUIs, and traffic offenses.
- Made evidentiary rulings, including the qualification and disqualification of expert witnesses, evaluation of scientific and technical testimony, and resolution of discovery disputes.
- Chair, District Court ADR Subcommittee — collaborated on statewide ADR policy, rule development, and improvements to court-annexed dispute resolution processes.
MARYLAND STATE OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS
Hunt Valley, MD
Administrative Law Judge
- July 2010 – January 2015
Served as a neutral adjudicator in hundreds of administrative hearings involving employment actions, licensing and regulatory disputes, benefits determinations, and public safety matters — ensuring fairness, due process, and efficient resolution. - Facilitated more than 200 mediations and settlement discussions, promoting negotiated outcomes between state agencies, businesses, and represented and self-represented parties.
- Managed high-volume evidentiary dockets, assessing credibility, weighing expert testimony, and issuing reasoned written decisions grounded in administrative law and statutory interpretation.
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, D.C.
Assistant Attorney General (Civil Division – General Litigation)
October 2007 – July 2010
- Tried and litigated cases involving employment discrimination, personal injury, police false arrest/assault, medical malpractice and inmate assaults, federal constitutional civil rights, and whistleblower claims in federal and state courts in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
ASTRACHAN GUNST & THOMAS, P.C.
Baltimore, MD
Attorney
October 2006 – May 2007
- Litigated cases involving privacy, sexual harassment, general contract disputes, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, patent infringement, licensing disputes, and breach of contract claims.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT – EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
Alexandria, VA
Federal Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee
September 2005 – September 2006
- Supported federal adjudication in high-profile civil and criminal matters, including terrorism, national security, and securities fraud cases, drafting opinions, orders, and complex motions analyses (e.g., summary judgment, injunctive relief, and motions to dismiss).
VENABLE LLP
Washington, D.C.
Attorney
September 2004 – September 2005
- Litigated complex commercial disputes and white-collar matters involving high-value business claims, regulatory exposure, and reputational risk.
MARYLAND STATE SUPREME COURT
Baltimore and Annapolis, MD
State Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Robert M. Bell, Chief Judge
August 2003 – August 2004
- Supported complex dispute resolution at Maryland’s highest court through legal research, credibility analysis, and drafting judicial opinions addressing statutory interpretation, constitutional issues, and multi-party matters.
Teaching Experience
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
Washington, D.C.
Adjunct Professor | Torts
August 2024 – Present
- Develops and delivers comprehensive course materials for Torts, covering foundational principles and advanced topics.
- Fosters critical thinking and practical application through dynamic teaching methods and interactive classroom discussions.
- Mentors and advises law students on academic and career development.
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY’S WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW
Washington, D.C.
Adjunct Professor | Trial Advocacy (Civil and Criminal)
August 2020 – Present
- Teaches in the Nationally Ranked Stephen S. Weinstein Trial Advocacy Program.
- Trains students in the art of presenting a court case effectively both civil and criminal trials. These skills include creation of case theory, arguing pretrial motions, opening statements, direct and indirect examination, overcoming evidentiary hurdles, closing arguments, and formulating case theory.
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
Washington, D.C.
Adjunct Professor | Pop Culture and the Law; Pretrial Justice; Domestic Violence
January 2020 – Present
- Created and teaches classes on Pop Culture and the Law; Warrants and Social Media; and Pretrial Justice.
- Teaches an overview of legal and policy responses to domestic violence (including child abuse, elder abuse, and intimate partner violence) in the United States
National Legal Training & Faculty Appointments
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL (NAAG)
Washington, D.C.
National Trainer / Faculty Member | Trial Skills and Courtroom Advocacy
January 2025 – Present
- Develops and delivers national programs for prosecutors and government litigators focused on precision in objections practice, persuasion, and ethical advocacy.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR TRIAL ADVOCACY (NITA)
Louisville, CO
Faculty Member | Trial Skills
January 2025 – Present
- Trains attorneys and legal professionals on advocacy, evidentiary structures, witness examination, and narrative development in contested proceedings.
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JUDGES (NCJFCJ)
Reno, NV
Faculty Member | Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence
January 2019 – Present
- Trains judges and court professionals nationwide in high-conflict dispute resolution involving safety, credibility assessment, fairness, and culturally-competent decision-making.
MARYLAND JUDICIAL COLLEGE
Annapolis, MD
Faculty Member | Judging Skills
January 2017 – January 2023
- Developed and Presented CLE programs on leading as a judge, implicit bias, expert witness analysis, peace order practice, and criminal/civil record interpretation for judges and magistrates.
Publications & Articles
If Only We’re Brave Enough To Be It: How Judges, Law Enforcement, and Legislators Can Be the Light Against # LWB Incidents, 70 Am. U. L. Rev. F. 135 (2021).
The Privacy Implications of DUI Refusals and Forced Blood Alcohol Tests: What Judges Can Do?, American Bar Association – Featured Article, 35 Sum Crim. Just. 27 (2020)
How to Avoid the Top Three Pitfalls of ADR When Your Client Is a Non-English Speaker, American Bar Association, (Co-Authored) (2019)
From Clerkship to Practice: Leaning on Your Clerkship to Avoid the Problems of Private Practice, American Bar Association, (Co-Authored) (2019)
Because It Matters: A Tribute to the United States Judge Gerald Bruce Lee, 67 Am. U. L. Rev. 1509 (2018)
Professional Honors
- Peacemaker Award, Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County (2023)
- Montgomery County Bar Foundation Community Service Award (2021)
- Top Leader in the Law, Maryland Daily Record (2019)
- VIP List – Most Successful by 40, Maryland Daily Record (2018)
- 40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates, National Bar Association (2018)
- Top 40 Under 40 Emerging Leader, Washington, DC Metropolitan Area (2017)
Professional Service & ADR Leadership
- Member, American Arbitration Association National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators
- Chair, District Court ADR Subcommittee — Maryland Judiciary
- Member, Maryland Judicial Council’s ADR Committee — Maryland Judiciary
- Faculty, Judicial College CLE Programs (peace orders; evidentiary and records practice)
Volunteer, Boards, Civic Organizations
ABA’S JUDICIAL OPPORTUNITY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
January 2015 – July 2025
Judge Participant and Mentor
- Mentored future attorneys through judicial internships, with a focus on supporting pathways into the profession.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
May 2022 – May 2024
Executive Board Member
- Supported initiatives improving access to and the administration of justice throughout the county legal system.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
August 2021 – January 2024
Board Member
- Advised on program strategy and community engagement supporting year-round competitive sports and health resources.
PIPELINE TO PRACTICE FOUNDATION, INC
March 2018 – January 2024
Advisory Board Member
- Supported and advised on national initiatives expanding access to legal education and professional training for law students and emerging attorneys.
Speaking Engagements
- American Bar Association – Judicial Internship Opportunity Program, featured speaker on judicial professionalism and pathways to the bench.
- Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County – Speaker on mediation, access to justice, and the role of neutrals in story-driven dispute resolution.
- U.S. State Department, Mumbai, India – Participant in international judicial roundtable on cross-border legal systems, judicial independence, and courtroom fairness.
- Kirit P. Mehta School of Law, Mumbai, India – Guest speaker on legal education, professional ethics, and preparing lawyers for global dispute resolution.
- Google – Panelist on data, technology, and their impact on justice system modernization.
- Microsoft – Panelist on technology, workforce development, and community justice innovation.
- The White House – Speaker on entrepreneurship, access to economic opportunity, and policy reform impacting justice systems.
- Montgomery County Bar Association – Panelist on judicial fairness, implicit perspectives in adjudication, and modern dispute resolution challenges.
- Albany Law School – Keynote presenter on judicial wellness, resilience, and leadership in the legal profession.
- Florida International University College of Law – Keynote speaker on leadership development and legal career pathways for emerging practitioners.