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Stirba & Associates

215 South State Street
Suite 750
Post Office Box 810
Salt Lake City, UT 84110
Phone: (801) 364-8300
Fax: (801) 364-8355
Email: info@stirba.com

Email: peter@stirba.com

Peter Stirba

President & Lead Attorney

Mr. Stirba is President and the sole shareholder of the firm and has been its President since 1991. His previous employment includes being a partner and Chairman of the litigation section at McKay, Burton & Thurman of Salt Lake City, employment as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah, and Special Counsel to the 1986 Special Salt Lake County Grand Jury. He presently serves as the City Attorney for Gunnison City.

Mr. Stirba is presently an Associate Adjunct Professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he is teaching in the law school's Pretrial Practice Course. Mr. Stirba has also been a frequent lecturer on various topics of trial and appellate advocacy including having taught civil advocacy techniques at the U.S. Department of Justice, The Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, and in numerous presentations before many organizations, including the Utah State Bar and the Texas State Bar.

His practice is exclusively a trial practice, both civil and criminal, with an emphasis in civil rights litigation, governmental entity defense, and federal criminal defense.

Professional Experience
  • STIRBA & ASSOCIATES, 1991 to present
    President and Owner
  • CITY OF GUNNISON, City Attorney, 2002 to present
  • TOWN OF CENTERFIELD, City Attorney, 2002 to 2005
  • MCKAY, BURTON & THURMAN, 1986-1990
    Partner and Chairman of the Litigation Section
  • SALT LAKE COUNTY, 1986 - 1987
    Special Counsel to the 1986 Special Salt Lake County Grand Jury
  • UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, 1983 to 1986
    Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah
  • MCKAY, BURTON & THURMAN, 1980-1983
  • PETER STIRBA, ESQ., 1976 - 1980
Professional Activities
  • University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law, Board of Trustees Member, 2010
  • Associate Adjunct Professor, University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law, 2007 to present
  • Ad Hoc Judicial Application Review Committee, 2007
  • Third Judicial District Court Nomination Commission, 2003-2007
  • Utah Appellate Court Nominating Commission, 1994-96
  • Advisory Committee to the Rules Committee Support Office of the Office of Judges Program District of Utah, 1994
  • Member, American Board of Trial Advocates, 1994
  • Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Criminal Procedure, 1991-93
  • Teacher - Lecturer, United States Department of Justice, Civil Trial Advocacy, 1986-87
  • Member, Utah State Bar Legislative Affairs Committee, 1985-86
  • Member, Law Related Education and Law Day Committee, Utah State Bar, 1982-83
  • Chairman, Utah State Bar Fee Arbitration Committee, 1981-82
  • Pro Bono Advocate for the Utah Advocates for the Developmentally Disabled, 1980-81
  • Chairman, Utah State Bar Young Lawyer's Administration of Justice Project, 1979
  • Judge Pro Tempore, Salt Lake Small Claims Court, 1978
Speaking & Presentations
  • The Case of Pearson v. Callahan before the Utah State Bar Appellate Law Section Salt Lake City, Utah 2009
  • The U.S. Supreme Court, A Clerk's Perspective and an Advocate's Perspective, Utah State Bar Annual Meeting, Sun Valley, Idaho, 2009
  • The Callahan v. Pearson Argument Before the United States Supreme Court, Utah Counties Insurance Pool Annual Meeting of the Members, Lehi, Utah, 2008
  • The Experience of Arguing Before the United States Supreme Court, Temple University Law School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2008
  • Mooting the United States Supreme Court Case of Pearson v. Callahan, University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2008
  • Personal Reflections in Arguing Before the United States Supreme Court, University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2008
  • Effective Appellate Advocacy, annual lecture, J. Ruben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 2003-08
  • What it's Like to Be a Judge and How to Get to Be One, Utah Bar Fall Forum, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2007
  • What it's Like to Be a Judge and How to Get to Be One, Utah Bar Association, Annual Meeting, Sun Valley, Idaho, 2007
  • First Amendment Issues, Free Speech Zones, Utah Municipal Attorney Association, Annual Spring Conference, Springdale, Utah, 2007
  • Qualified Immunity Without Qualifications, Utah Counties Insurance Pool Risk Management Conference, Cedar City, Utah, 2006
  • How to Treat your Patients' Pain Without Creating Your Own Legal Headaches, Utah Pain Society Seminar, "Opioid Pain Management," Salt Lake City, Utah, 2005
  • Kirby Vacuum Litigation Update, Utah Municipal Attorney Association, St. George, Utah, 2005
  • Brief Writing and Oral Argument: Top 10 Tips, lecture, J. Ruben Clark Law School, Legal Writing Class, Provo, Utah, 2005
  • Legal and Ethical Issues in Modern Day Journalism, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2003
  • Legal and Ethical Issues in Modern Day Journalism, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2001
  • The Right to a Fair Trial v. the Right to Know: Public Access Issues in Criminal Court Proceedings, Utah Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists, Panel Discussion, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2000
  • How to Represent a Licensed Professional Before a Regulatory Agency, Utah State Bar Mid-Year Convention, St. George, Utah, 2000
  • Cross-Examination in Criminal Trials, lecture, J. Ruben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, Criminal Trial Advocacy Course, Provo, Utah, 1998
  • Top 10 Tips in Federal Sentencing, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Winter Meeting, Park City, Utah, 1997
  • Bias in Agency Decision Making: Appearance or Reality . . .and What to Do About It, Utah State Bar Annual Meeting, Sun Valley, Idaho, 1996
  • Juror Misconduct and Judicial Standards to Control It, Federal Bar Association, Seminar on Criminal Law and Procedure, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1995
  • Trial Notebook, Utah State Bar Civil Advocacy Seminar, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1987
  • Is There an Insurance Crisis?, National Legal Secretary Association Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1982
Civic Activities
  • The Judgesrun Foundation, President and Chairman of the Board
  • Political and Church-related Activities