JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, announced that Denise Langford Morris, retired judge of the Oakland County Circuit Court, has joined its Detroit Resolution Center.
Langford Morris will serve as an arbitrator, mediator, and special master/referee, handling business and commercial, professional liability, real estate, torts, employment, family law, products liability, class action, and mass tort disputes.
She joined JAMS after serving on the Oakland County bench for 30 years and was the first African American and the first female dean of the Oakland County bench since its inception in 1848.
“Judge Langford Morris is known for her patience, perseverance, and ability to connect with parties to find a resolution to even the most challenging disputes. Her extensive experience and dedication to the law, along with her deep understanding of ADR, make her an excellent addition to the JAMS panel,” says Chris Poole, CEO of JAMS.
During her tenure on the bench, Langford Morris presided over thousands of civil, business, family, and criminal cases, including jury and bench trials. She managed every aspect of the cases assigned to her from filing to post judgment in a AAA-bond-rated county of over 1.2 million people. She retired as the first Black chief judge pro tempore to serve on the court.
“I’ve spent my whole professional life helping people find solutions to hard problems. For me, it’s important to move beyond resolving disputes to solving problems,” says Langford Morris.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Wayne State University and her J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.