February 5, 2024

It was an honor to speak today in Louisville, Kentucky, where the American Bar Association House of Delegates unanimously approved the adoption of Resolution 500, urging the increased use of Early Dispute Resolution. Resolution 500 reads:

RESOLVED, that the American Bar Association urges lawyers and all interested parties to increase the informed and voluntary use of Early Dispute Resolution: party-directed, non-adjudicative approaches to resolve disputes in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner, including, but not limited to, direct negotiation, mediation, and ombuds.

This Resolution was sponsored by the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution and Co-Sponsored by ABA Section of State and Local Government and ABA Senior Lawyers Division. 

The Resolution earned the support of: ABA Business Law Section, ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law, ABA Young Lawyers Division, and ABA Section of Government and Public Sector Lawyers in submission of the Resolution to the ABA House of Delegates.

The Resolution and its supporting Report that was submitted to the ABA House of Delegates for consideration, along with a video of the presentations made at the ABA Mid-Year Meeting in support of Resolution 500 can be reviewed here: House of Delegates Resolution 500 (americanbar.org).  The principal drafters of the Resolution are: Ellie Vilendrer (California), Felicia Harris Hoss (Texas), Mary Cullen (Minnesota), and Megan Willoughby (Pennsylvania).