James Schurz teaches the seminar Alternative Dispute Resolution: Law, Practice and Policy at Stanford Law School. He serves as the co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s international commercial arbitration practice.

James has practiced law at Morrison Foerster for over thirty years. He has deep experience with many of the world’s leading arbitration forums, including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), American Arbitration Association, and UNCITRAL. He has handled domestic and international arbitrations involving intellectual property, distributorships, joint ventures, and infrastructure development projects. He also has broad experience with litigating the enforceability of arbitration clauses in U.S. federal and state courts. James serves as a mediator for the United States Federal District Court for the Northern District of California as well as a member of the court’s Standing Committee on Professional Conduct. He has served on the leadership council of the American Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section. In addition, James served as co-chair of the San Francisco Bar Association’s Arbitration Committee and co-chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s Advocacy Committee.

James is the chair of the Pro Bono Committee at Morrison Foerster directing the firm’s pro bono activities. He serves on the board of directors of Legal Services for Children. He previously served as a director of the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco (Legal Aid at Work).

James received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in European history from Stanford University. He received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Immediately following graduation, Mr. Schurz served as a law clerk to the Honorable Marcus Kaufman, Associate Justice, California Supreme Court.