![\"Judge](\"http:\/\/utahadrservices.com\/neutrals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/judgelawrence.jpg\")
Senior Judge Barry G. Lawrence was appointed to the Third District Court by Governor Gary Herbert in September 2012. During his 13 \u00bd years on the bench, he served in the West Jordan and Matheson Courthouses and handled all manner of civil and criminal cases. A former New Yorker, Judge Lawrence graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology in 1984, and earned his Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law in 1988.<\/p>\n
Upon graduating from law school, Judge Lawrence relocated to Utah and worked for 12 years at the law firm of Jones, Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough, where he had a general litigation practice with particular emphasis in the areas of personal injury law, construction law, and commercial litigation. In 2000, he joined the Utah Attorney General’s Office and worked in the Litigation Division. While there, he practiced in the Torts Section and served as the Torts Section Chief until his appointment to the bench. As an Assistant Attorney General, he defended a wide variety of tort claims (including medical malpractice, road construction, premises liability, and motor vehicle accident claims) brought against the State, its related entities, and school districts. In doing so, he became proficient in issues implicating the Utah Governmental Immunity Act.<\/p>\n
As a District Court Judge, Lawrence presided over a wide variety of civil cases. For a few of his years on the bench, he handled a unique calendar that had a heavy personal injury component; as result, Judge Lawrence has presided over an unusually high number of personal injury jury trials and is uniquely qualified to help parties resolve those types of cases.<\/p>\n
While on the bench, Judge Lawrence gained extensive experience in mediating cases through the Judicial Settlement Conference process.<\/p>\n
Judge Lawrence transitioned to Senior Judge status effective May 16, 2026. He continues to handle District Court cases statewide on a part-time basis. He serves as a mediator and arbitrator in civil matters \u2013 preferably in cases involving personal injuries and other torts as well as contract and business disputes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"