Hon. Eddward Ballinger Judge U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Phoenix Eddward P. Ballinger Jr. assumed his duties as a Superior Court judge in May 1998. He currently serves as the Criminal Department’s Associate Presiding Judge. The Arizona Supreme Court has assigned him to preside over both the Gila River Stream Adjudication and the Little Colorado River Adjudication, which comprise two of the largest lawsuits ever litigated in the state court system. He also supervises Maricopa County’s Drug Court program, which provides post-adjudicative treatment for those convicted of drug possession offenses. Judge Ballinger received his J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from The Ohio State University (1979) and a Masters in Law from New York University (LL.M., Taxation 1981). Prior to his appointment to the bench he was a partner in the law firm of Brown & Bain, P.A. where his practice focused on civil litigation and business reorganizations.Judge Ballinger is committed to the idea that the legal profession needs to be actively involved in community and educational activities. He is a past president and current member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Kidney Foundation, assisting the AKF in providing care and support to those in Arizona that suffer from kidney failure and related illnesses. He served as a board member for Project Laws, a not for profit organization committed to helping disadvantaged and minority youth find summer jobs in professional firms and corporations. His interest in less expensive alternatives to litigation led him to become involved with the American Arbitration Association, where he served as a member of the business advisory committee. Judge Ballinger served on the Maricopa County Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Committee and during the past twenty years has regularly served as a lecturer speaking on topics relating to trial practice techniques, lender liability, the restructuring of troubled businesses, and civil and criminal justice issues. He has authored numerous works dealing with topics ranging from the analysis of federal statutes such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to methods of avoiding litigation. His most recent publication addresses the legal ramifications of the judge-created economic loss rule to civil litigation. In his spare time Judge Ballinger enjoys eating (a lot), exercising (a little), reading biographies of great Americans and trying to fix the damage he does to his personal computer.