• Willamette University College of Law, 1970
• B.A., Economics, University of Washington, 1966

• Board of Directors, Fortune Bank, Current
• Board of Directors, Broadmoor Golf Club, Current
• Trustee, King County Bar Foundation, 2002-Current
• Recipient of the King County Bar Association Helen Geisness Award, 2008

Judge Burdell was appointed to the King County WA) Superior Court in November, 1987. Prior to his appointment, he was a Judge Pro Tem and Arbitrator in the King County District and Superior Courts, and a mediator in the United States District Court. From 1975 until 1987, he was a partner in the firm Culp, Dwyer, Guterson & Grader, serving as a managing partner from 1978-1983.

Judge Burdell became a full-time mediator and arbitrator in 1990. Since that time he has conducted more than 3,500 mediations and arbitrations in cases involving many areas of law such as complex business litigation, construction, marriage dissolution, personal injury, professional liability, product liability, environmental issues and employment.

While practicing law, he specialized in complex civil litigation, dissolutions and antitrust cases and participated in the implementation of the Civil Rule 39.1 mediation program in the US District Court. He was frequently asked by other attorneys to serve as their 39.1 mediator and settled many cases, including one Native American water rights case which had been pending in the Federal Courts for over 16 years.

As a King County Superior Court Judge, he conducted hundreds of settlement conferences. Judge Burdell has been involved in many training seminars in mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution as both a speaker and participant. Sponsors of these seminars have included bar associations, private companies and law firms.

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