Honorable Zuberi Bakari Williams (Ret.)
Director
Former Judge, Maryland District Court
- Tel: (302) 429-4283
- Fax: (302) 658-6395
Biography
Connector. Visionary. Mediator. Thought Leader.
Connector. Visionary. Mediator. Thought Leader.
Retired Judge Zuberi “Judge Zu” Williams doesn’t just mediate—he transforms conflict into clarity, bringing his judicial insight and hands-on solutions to every matter he touches. As Chair of Bayard’s ADR practice, he blends years on the bench with a reputation for making tough cases manageable. He has conducted hundreds of mediations across commercial, civil, employment, and government matters—and he believes the most durable outcomes come when the parties actively participate in and own the resolution.
Now at Bayard, his goal is to set the highest standard for dispute resolution: innovative, human, and built to last.
Retired Maryland District Court Judge Zuberi “Judge Zu” Williams leads Bayard’s ADR practice—an innovative, people-focused platform he launched to help parties resolve high-stakes disputes with speed, dignity, and durability. For over 15 years, he has conducted hundreds of mediations and settlement conferences across commercial, civil, employment, and government matters. Both legal counsel and clients praise his even-keeled approach and his ability to make complex cases feel manageable.
On the bench—first as an Administrative Law Judge, then as a Maryland District Court Judge—Judge Zu led the District Court’s ADR Sub-Committee, modernizing programs and training statewide. Widely praised for his neutrality, Judge Zu guides high-conflict disputes with clarity, respect, and momentum. His leadership and professional reputation in the legal community have earned him honors including the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County’s Peacemaker Award.
Judge Zu’s work blends extensive courtroom judgment with practical resolution strategy. He advises companies, nonprofits, schools, and individuals on mediation and facilitated negotiations; neutral evaluation; and program design that reduces friction and creates space for principled agreement. His approach draws on years overseeing dockets in Maryland and on building research-informed ADR programs that expand access and effectiveness.
Appointed to the District Court at age 36—one of the youngest judicial appointments in Maryland history—Judge Zu served in Montgomery County from 2015 until retiring from the bench in 2025. Before the bench, he served as an Administrative Law Judge at the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings and as an Assistant Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Earlier in private practice, he worked in Washington, DC at an AmLaw 100 law firm in its White Collar Crime & Investigations group, and at a prominent Baltimore, MD IP boutique firm.
Judge Zu clerked for Chief Judge Robert M. Bell of Maryland’s highest court (then the Court of Appeals, now the Supreme Court of Maryland) and for Hon. Gerald Bruce Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia—the renowned “Rocket Docket,” known for swift timelines and a heavy docket of IP, tech, finance and other complex civil cases.
A committed educator, Judge Zu serves on the faculty at Georgetown University Law Center and American University’s Washington College of Law, where he has taught trial advocacy, torts, and his popular “Law & Popular Culture” course. He also serves on the faculty of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), the National Association of Attorneys General’s training arm (NAAG), and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), and he travels widely to teach judges and lawyers at judicial roundtables domestically and abroad. Recent speaking highlights include a multi-program visit to Mumbai, India; ABA JIOP keynotes and panels; Microsoft’s Criminal Justice Reform Town Hall; and keynote appearances for Maryland Legal Aid and the National Black Pre-Law Conference.
Judge Zu’s writing includes pieces for the American University Law Review Forum, ABA Criminal Justice Magazine, and ABA Litigation. He is frequently profiled by universities and professional organizations for his work at the intersection of courts, community, and practical resolution.
Awards & Rankings
Judge Williams has received numerous prestigious awards, including:- Peacemaker Award – Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County
- Leadership in Law — Honoree, The Daily Record
- VIP “Successful by 40” — Honoree, The Daily Record
- “40 Under 40: Nation’s Best Advocates,” National Bar Association
- Top 40 Under 40 — Emerging Leader, Leadership Center for Excellence
- North Star Award, Sylvania Woods African Americans in the Law Conference
- Montgomery County Bar Foundation Community Service Award