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ADR SECTION
DEI COMMITTEE

In December 2021, the ADR Section’s newly created Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee met for the first time. This group began its journey with the desire to help move the needle in Florida toward diversity, equity, and inclusion for our field and our institutions, improving our judicial system as we do.  We welcome participation, input, and feedback from our members as we do this.

Did You Know?  The creation of the committee was inspired by a podcast in which Linda Klein, the former President of the American Bar Association, and a mediator and arbitrator, spoke about the ABA’s Resolution 105 on Diversity in Dispute Resolution.

Among the Committee’s goals:

  • Raising awareness about ABA Resolution 105 among Section members, neutrals, members of the Florida Bar, and ADR service consumers.
  • Developing model best practices for increasing diversity in ADR here in Florida, while drawing from national and international models.
  • Targeting voluntary bar organizations throughout the state with outreach designed to encourage diverse candidates to get trained in mediation and arbitration skills as to enhance their professional skills and lay groundwork for future careers in ADR.
  • Examining ways in which the institution of the ADR Section can ensure that diversity is built into our Section’s activities, including participating in the Section’s Strategic Planning process and coordinating with the Section’s Membership Committee.
  • Establishing a baseline then setting, tracking, and reporting on measurable goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a commitment to accountability and monitoring change over time.
  • Working to raise awareness and support the implementation of initiatives to address this issue among:
    • Legal institutions in Florida (e.g. The Florida Bar, its various sections and its Diversity and Inclusion Committee, The Florida Supreme Court Standing Committee on Fairness and Diversity, the courts themselves)
    • Public Sector ADR institutions in Florida (e.g. the Dispute Resolution Center, the ADR Rules and Policy Committee of the Florida Supreme Court, the Mediator Training and Qualifications Board)
    • Private Sector ADR institutions in Florida (e.g. for-profit and non-profit ADR rosters and providers and solo practitioners)

ABA Resolution 105 on Diversity in Dispute Resolution

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