Judge William A. Sanchez

CLEO 1977

“My CLEO experience was priceless! It gave me the opportunity to get a head start for law school and it gave me the confidence to know that I could succeed well in my studies.”

Judge William A. Sanchez was recommended by the Judicial Selection Committee to fill a judicial vacancy and was elected District Court Judge for the 13th Judicial District, State of New Mexico, in 1992. During his 21 year tenure as a trial judge, he presided over hundreds of civil jury and bench trials, many involving complex litigation. He served as Chief Judge from 1996 to 2001.

Judge Sanchez served as an Assistant District Attorney in Bernalillo County from 1980 to 1983. He operated his private law practice from 1983 to 1992 specializing in personal injury, worker’s compensation, real estate, and domestic relation cases.

Judge Sanchez retired from the bench in March 2014 and established his business, Sanchez Settlement & Legal Services, LLC, accepting clients in the areas of settlement facilitation, mediation, and arbitration.

Judge William A. Sanchez is a native New Mexican, born in Albuquerque. He attended the University of New Mexico and earned his BA in Business Administration in 1976. He graduated from the University of New Mexico Law School in 1980.