William Sheffield (judge)
Encyclopedia
William Sheffield was a general legal counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the Asia Area
of the church and was closely connected with the sending of Mormon missionaries to India
by the church in the late-20th century. Sheffield has also served as a judge in the Superior Courts of California, Orange County
.
Sheffield earned his undergraduate degree from California State University, Long Beach
. and then attended law school at the University of California, Berkeley
.
From 1983 to 1985 Sheffield was a judge on the Superior Court of California, sitting in Orange County. He also served as a member of Indira Gandhi
's defense team in the late 1970's (see below). In 1985, Sheffield resigned his judgeship and went to Yale Divinity School
. At the time Sheffield began attending services of the Methodist Church. His wife was a Latter-day Saint.
Sheffield's investigations of Mormonism
while at Yale lead him to enroll at Brigham Young University
(BYU), which had created a graduate program in theology for his study. He did much of his work at BYU under Joseph Fielding McConkie
and eventually joined the LDS Church, whereupon he returned to Yale where he completed his divinity degree.
After that, he worked as the LDS Church's legal counsel in Asia where he used his connections with Rajiv Gandhi
to get LDS Church missionaries allowed into that country.
Sheffield was also the person who initially spearheaded the donations by several Latter-day Saints to Dr. ADSN Prasad's Pathway Centers for Mentally and Physically Disabled Children in Chennai, India.
Upon completion of his assignment for the Church in 1990, Sheffield returned to Southern California where he has been an active mediator/arbitrator, having conducted over 5000 mediations and arbitrations, now exclusively with Judicate West. Sheffield has been named among the Top Twenty Neutrals in California by the Daily Journal. He has also been named among the Top Lawyers in America.
Since his retirement, Sheffield has been hired by the Los Angeles Unified School District
to investigate complaints of retaliatory suspensions of students for actions by their parents in a San Fernando Valley
Middle School.
Sheffield wrote the article "Voices from the Dust" in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism
.
Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...
of the church and was closely connected with the sending of Mormon missionaries to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by the church in the late-20th century. Sheffield has also served as a judge in the Superior Courts of California, Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
.
Sheffield earned his undergraduate degree from California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
. and then attended law school at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
From 1983 to 1985 Sheffield was a judge on the Superior Court of California, sitting in Orange County. He also served as a member of Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
's defense team in the late 1970's (see below). In 1985, Sheffield resigned his judgeship and went to Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
. At the time Sheffield began attending services of the Methodist Church. His wife was a Latter-day Saint.
Sheffield's investigations of Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
while at Yale lead him to enroll at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU), which had created a graduate program in theology for his study. He did much of his work at BYU under Joseph Fielding McConkie
Joseph Fielding McConkie
Joseph Fielding McConkie is an emeritus professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. He is the son of LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie and Amelia Smith McConkie. He has authored and co-authored over 25 books, speaks regularly at LDS gatherings, and is married to Brenda Kempton McConkie...
and eventually joined the LDS Church, whereupon he returned to Yale where he completed his divinity degree.
After that, he worked as the LDS Church's legal counsel in Asia where he used his connections with Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
to get LDS Church missionaries allowed into that country.
Sheffield was also the person who initially spearheaded the donations by several Latter-day Saints to Dr. ADSN Prasad's Pathway Centers for Mentally and Physically Disabled Children in Chennai, India.
Upon completion of his assignment for the Church in 1990, Sheffield returned to Southern California where he has been an active mediator/arbitrator, having conducted over 5000 mediations and arbitrations, now exclusively with Judicate West. Sheffield has been named among the Top Twenty Neutrals in California by the Daily Journal. He has also been named among the Top Lawyers in America.
Since his retirement, Sheffield has been hired by the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
to investigate complaints of retaliatory suspensions of students for actions by their parents in a San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
Middle School.
Sheffield wrote the article "Voices from the Dust" in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Encyclopedia of Mormonism is a semi-official encyclopedia for topics relevant to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
.