Steven D. Sheldon
EXPERIENCE
Early Career
Mr. Sheldon returned to school in 1969, after serving in Vietnam, to complete his education and later attended Loyola University School of Law.
He graduated cum laude from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles in 1974.
After graduating, he moved to Phoenix to begin practicing law with one of the largest law firms in the city at that time, Evans, Kitchel & Jenckes.
He later decided to pursue his desire to become an FBI Agent. He was offered a Special Agent position and joined the FBI in 1977. He initially was assigned to the Portland, Oregon FBI Office, where he worked on general criminal matters as well as bank robbery and fugitive apprehension cases. He was later selected to attend language school at the Monterey Defense Language Institute, where he studied Mandarin Chinese. He graduated with honors and was assigned to the Washington D.C. Field Office, where he continued his work as a Special Agent in the foreign counter intelligence field for several years before deciding to return to Phoenix to practice law.
Return to Practice
Mr. Sheldon returned to Phoenix to practice law in 1982, joining the Court of Appeals, Division One, as a Staff Attorney. While at the Court, he participated in writing, analyzing, and discussing appellate cases on a weekly basis with the various departments of the Court. He prepared written recommendations regarding disposition of cases, reviewed motions submitted to the Court, including Special Action petitions, and presented his conclusions and recommendations to the various departments of Division One. He was the Vice Chief Staff Attorney at the time of his appointment to the Superior Court.
Judicial Career
In 1989, he was appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court where he presided
over civil, criminal and family court cases during his career.
In 2007, Mr. Sheldon retired from the Superior Court and returned to private practice.
Current Practice
In 2013, after six years at the law firm of Franks, Sheldon & Houser, P.C.,
he left to start his own practice. He has been involved in litigation,
mediation, acting as a Parenting Coordinator,
as well as acting as a Discovery and Special Master.
Mr. Sheldon also has been retained to act as an expert witness in a number
of family law legal malpractice cases.
Mr. Sheldon has experience presenting cases to and insight into the education of fact finders.
Mr. Sheldon's years of experience bring a unique and broad perspective to his practice. He will assist you in navigating through what can be, at times, a confusing "forest" of procedural, substantive and practical considerations in seeking a resolution of your case.
Mr. Sheldon's experience will be of assistance in deciding what path to pursue in resolving your case.
Mr. Sheldon is an advocate for mediation of court cases. He was one of the first community mediators trained by Joan Tobin in 1985, as part of the Phoenix Community Mediation Program. He continued to volunteer service to that program until his appointment to the Superior Court in 1989. He continues his commitment to settling cases.