Judge J. Wesley Saint Clair (Ret.) joins JAMS after a sterling 30-year career as a judge in the King County court system. Judge Saint Clair began his judicial career as a judge in the Northeast Division of the King County District Court and later served as a trial judge on the King County Superior Court. He presided over thousands of cases and conducted settlement and pretrial conferences, where he skillfully handled numerous case types, including business/commercial, complex personal injury and product liability.

Judge Saint Clair is known for his preparation and demeanor; his commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; and his ability to navigate often contentious behaviors to achieve outcomes that benefit all involved.

Judge Saint Clair was named Outstanding Judge of the Year by the King County Bar Association (2003). He is also a recipient of the King County Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award (2009).

Judge Saint Clair handled matters in the following areas during his time on the bench.

Representative Matters

• Business & Commercial
• Breach of contract
• Business dissolution and valuation of side assets
• Civil Rights
• Wrongful death
• Discrimination
• Family Law
• Dissolution
• Evaluation of assets and financial issues
• Parenting plans
• Child visitation
• Domestic violence allegations
• Division of real estate, stock options and business evaluations
• Government/Public Agency
• Department of Labor & Industries
• Department of Licensing
• Department of Corrections
• Personal Injury/Torts
• Premises liability involving slip/trip/fall matters
• Personal injury and wrongful death cases involving automobiles, buses, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians
• Dog bite incidents
• Products liability
• Real Estate & Real Property
• Landlord/tenant
• Defect repairs
• Commercial and residential leases
• Easement matters between neighbors, parking, landscaping, encroachments, views, privacy and covenants, conditions and restrictions
• Quiet title claims
• Unlawful detainer cases
• Claimed breaches of purchase/sale contracts, duty to disclose

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Selected Awards and Honors

• Outstanding Judge Award, King County Bar Association, 2003
• Political Advocate of the Year Award, POCAAN, 2018
• Humanitarian of the Year, King County, 2009

Selected Memberships, Affiliations and Professional Activities

• King County Restorative Justice: I initiated a conversation within the juvenile legal processing system in King County and explored how those practices would better support youthful participants long term in developing their own voice and advocacy. This conversation is ongoing.
• Chair, Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission, 2020–2022
• Board Member, National Association of Drug Court Professions, 2015–2021
• Board Member, Building Changes, 2018–2022
• President, Building Changes, 2020–2022
• Member, Loren Miller Bar Association, 1990–2020
• Member and Chair, Technology Committee, King County Superior Court, 2004–2017
• Member, Washington State Bar Association, Judicial Status, 1991–2022
• Member, King County Bar Association, 1990–2019
• Member, William L. Dwyer American Inn of the Court, 2011–2019

Background and Education

• Judge, King County Superior Court, 2004–2019
  • Chief Judge, Juvenile Court, 2014–2019
  • Juvenile Court, 2011–2019
• Judge, King County District Court, 1991–2004
  • Chief Presiding Judge, 2001–2004
  • Chief Judge, Northeast Division, 1998–2001
• Faculty, Washington State Judicial College, 2019, 2020
• Faculty, Washington State Judicial College, 1999, 2001
• Magistrate, King County District Court, 1989–1991
• Law Office of J. Wesley Saint Clair, 1986–1990
• Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, King County Prosecutor's Office, 1982–1986
• J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 1982
• B.A., Yale University, 1977

Mediation Training

• Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, 2019
• Civil Mediation Course, National Judicial College, 1994