Academy Member Inducted 2025
Stephen D. Kelson
257 East 200 South
Suite 1100
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Video ConferencingAvailable
- Practice Commenced2015
- # of MEDS (as of 5/2/25)700
- # of ARBS (as of 5/2/25)
Current Practice
Online / In-Person
- LOGAN
- OGDEN-CLEARFIELD
- PROVO-OREM
- SALT LAKE CITY
- ST GEORGE
Biographical
Stephen has practiced law in Utah for more than 25 years and is a shareholder in the Salt Lake City law firm of Christensen & Jensen, P.C. His experience includes litigating an extensive range of disputes in complex commercial and tort cases through trial on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. Stephen’s resolve to best serve parties in mediation has led him to increase his skills by obtaining M.D.R. and LL.M. degrees in Dispute Resolution. His experience and expertise are frequently desired in challenging disputes. He is regularly listed and recognized as one of Utah’s top mediators. His expertise provides a direct and fair approach for parties to resolve disputes effectively and efficiently.
Stephen holds an M.D.R. and an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine School of Law, America’s top-ranked ADR program. He is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell. In addition to his practice, he teaches negotiation skills to law students as an Adjunct Professor at the Brigham Young University (BYU) J. Reuben Clark School of Law.
He is a Master Mediator on the Utah Court Roster of Mediators. He regularly trains and presents on mediation topics. He has published more than 50 articles throughout the United States, and his studies conducted with state bar associations have been profiled and featured in the ABA Journal.
Case Experience
- ADA Disability
- Appellate
- Automotive
- Bankruptcy/Creditors
- Business Dissolution
- Commercial/Business
- Community Associations
- Condominiums
- Construction
- Consumer Fraud
- Contract Disputes
- Cross Cultural
- Debt Collections
- Education
- Elder Abuse
- Eminent Domain
- Employment
- Engineering
- Family Businesses
- Health Care
- Insurance
- Intellectual Property
- Internet
- Land Use/Planning
- Landlord/Tenant
- Legal Malpractice
- Lemon Law
- Libel & Slander
- Local Govt./Municipalities
- Medical Malpractice
- Mortgage Foreclosure
- Natural Disasters
- Non-profit Organizations
- Nursing Homes
- Partnerships
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
- Probate
- Product Liability
- Professional Fees
- Professional Liability
- Professional Malpractice
- Professional Negligence
- Property Damage
- Real Estate
- Shareholder Disputes
- Software
- Technology
- Title Disputes
- Torts
- Transportation
- Trusts / Estates
- Unfair Competition
- Utilities
- Wage & Hour/FMLA
- Wrongful Death
Education
- J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, J.D., 1999
- University of Utah, M.A. Modern European History, cum laude, 1997
- University of Utah, B.A. History, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi; Phi Alpha Theta, 1995
- Pepperdine School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, MDR, 2013
- Pepperdine School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, LLM, 2023
Memberships & Affiliations
- Admitted to practice in all Utah state and federal courts
- U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Utah State Bar
- American Bar Association
- Master Mediator on the Utah Court Roster of Mediators
- Adjunct Professor, J. Reuben Clark School of Law, 2022 – Present
- President of the Board of Trustees of Utah Dispute Resolution
- Chair of Christensen & Jensen’s ADR Practice Group
- Served as President of the Salt Lake City Kiwanis Club
Rates Information
Please schedule mediations with Miriam Strassberg, Utah ADR Services, mbstrassberg@msn.com or 801-943-3730. Please email or call her to inquire of Mr. Kelson’s availability, scheduling, deposit, conflict check/disclosures, and other requirements.
$375 per hour, plus a one-time $300 admin (Set up) fee for mediations.
Out-of-state mediations $4,000 (day rate) plus expenses