Dispute Resolution Spring Conference Guidelines for Program Proposals

The ABA Dispute Resolution Section’s Spring Conference is the largest ADR conference in the world. Conference attendees gather to learn the latest in dispute resolution techniques and trends, exchange ideas with experts and peers, and strengthen their professional relationships. The 2025 ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Spring Conference will be held in Chicago, IL on April 25 and 26 in the West Loop.

The theme of the 2025 Spring Conference is:

Reaching New Heights: The Rising Tide of Dispute Resolution
The 2025 conference will actualize the future of dispute resolution with in-person, hybrid, and online programs. Collaborate in-person in Chicago, connect virtually from anywhere in the world, or combine them both for a hybrid experience. Professionals from across the field of dispute resolution will present programs on the newest developments in our field.

The majority of conference programs will be entirely in-person (meaning all program presenters will need to be physically present in Chicago to participate). The conference planning committee will be selecting and working with a few programs to have a hybrid (both in-person and virtual) presentation and audience. Hybrid program presenters will still need to be physically present in Chicago to participate. There will also be a few conference programs that are entirely virtual. The conference planning committee will weigh your preferences as indicated in the proposal form when determining the format of your program.

All events will follow local and CDC public health guidelines and regulations. In the unlikely circumstance that the conference needs to switch to an entirely virtual format for health and safety reasons, we will provide that information as soon as possible.   

We welcome program proposals from anyone who can enlighten and connect with our anticipated  attendees, which includes dispute resolution leaders, mediators, arbitrators, ombuds, judges, attorney advocates, court administrators, neutral providers, ADR consumers, and legal educators.

Things to Consider When Developing Your Proposal

• Programs will be 60 or 75 minutes long.
• All presenters, including moderators, who attend the conference must register for the conference and pay the applicable registration fee. Please be sure your presenters all agree to this rule when you contact them about listing them in your proposal. We have not yet finalized the registration rates for the 2025 conference. You can see what the 2024 presenter registration rates were, but please note that we expect these rates to increase to account for the increase of conference costs.
• Conference theme. We welcome and appreciate all proposals and suggest that your proposal align with the conference theme, Reaching New Heights: The Rising Tide of Dispute Resolution.
• Proposals must adhere to the ABA Diversity Equity and Inclusion CLE Policy. This requires that Program Organizers take proactive measures to invite and include moderators and presenters from historically underrepresented communities e.g., racial and ethnic demographic groups/people of color, women, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. See the full details of our policy. Program Organizers also should consider including qualified young lawyers on their panels. The Women in Dispute Resolution Directory of Diverse ADR Practitioners and the Section of Dispute Resolution Diversity Committee may be helpful in identifying diverse panel members.
• We will only accept complete proposals. Please do not submit “placeholder” proposals with key information blank, such as the description or presenters. It is important that we have the full picture of a proposal when we are considering it for acceptance.
• Proposal Organizers are encouraged to consult with the chairs of relevant Section of Dispute Resolution Committees while developing program content. Committee chairs and liaisons have a good sense of topics that are of interest to attendees, and may also be able to suggest appropriate presenters who will contribute to panel diversity. A list of Dispute Resolution committees and committee chairs can be accessed on the Section’s Committees page. Please contact [email protected] with any questions on committees.
• Possible program formats include:
  • Panel Program - Panel programs offer two or more presenters from different organizations the opportunity to weave together innovative ideas, practical experiences, fresh approaches and perspectives, and critical reflection on a current topic or pressing issue.
  • Single Presenter/Organization Program - One presenter or multiple presenters from the same organization sharing research, updates, case law, and other relevant topics. Although single presenter and multiple presenters from a single organization proposals will be considered, preference will be given to Panel Programs with two or more presenters from different organizations.
  • Resource Share - Resource Shares are large, moderated discussions addressing a specific topic.
  • Workshop - Workshops offer significant active and in-depth learning. Participants will engage an issue, learn a new skill, or develop an action plan or other activity where hands-on learning is integral.
• Proposals are reviewed by topic. Program proposals will be sorted into one of three topic areas for review: (1) General programs, (2) Court-themed programs (for the Court ADR Symposium), or (3) Programs targeted toward legal educators (for the Legal Educators’ Colloquium). You will indicate in your proposal form which topic area your proposal falls into. Each topic area will be featured in a scheduled block of conference programs.
• Proposals must have educational content and should not be merely advertising or promotional. Your program should have clear learning objectives with the goal to further the skillset and continuing education of dispute resolution professionals. Please do not make your proposal a promotional sales pitch for your company or product. Instead, we would encourage you to showcase your organization's commitment to the field by considering becoming a conference sponsor. This will afford you the chance to raise your profile and increase visibility among our attendees.
• Presenters will be in-person. All program presenters must be physically present at the conference venue in Chicago to participate unless specifically asked by the planning committee to present virtually. (This, of course, assumes that we have not been required to transfer to a virtual format because of health or safety reasons.)
• The majority of conference programs will not be accredited for CLE. Please note we will only select approximately 15 conference programs to offer for CLE credit. The majority of conference programs are held as non-CLE programs.

Program Selection and Notification

Factors that will be considered in selecting programs include the extent to which:

• the program will provide valuable information for the conference attendees
• the planned presentation format is appropriate for the program content
• the program is consistent with the conference theme
• the proposal is clear and well thought out
• the proposal is complete (“placeholder” proposals will not be accepted)
• the program title and description are clear, concise, accurate and likely to draw conference attendees
• the proposed presenters have expertise in the subject matter of the program
• the proposal’s panel of presenters meets the ABA's diversity requirements
• the proposal includes presenters from different organizations
• the program content has not been presented at another conference
• the proposal has multiple presenters (given the limited number of program slots, we encourage multiple presenters on your program, and if you need help finding additional presenters, please contact [email protected])

Proposals will be peer reviewed by section members, committee chairs, and other experts in the field. The peer reviewers will assess how well the proposals meet the above criteria and recommend whether the proposed program should be included within the conference agenda.

The Spring Conference Planning Committee will consider the peer reviews and make the final program selections. During the selection process, the Planning Committee may contact Program Organizers about their proposals to clarify, augment or revise their proposals if needed before final program selections are made. The Planning Committee will notify the Program Organizers whether or not their proposals have been accepted in late November 2024. The Committee may ask for the Program Organizer to combine their proposal with another of a similar topic as a condition of acceptance.

Program Organizer Responsibilities for Accepted Programs

By submitting a proposal, a Program Organizer agrees to:

• Serve as the primary contact for the panel—including receiving communications from the Planning Committee and Section staff and forwarding the communications to the panel of presenters.
• Facilitate the coordination, planning, and implementation of the program by adhering to all planning deadlines.
• Publicize the program – and the entire Spring Conference – when possible via personal networking channels. 
• If MCLE credit will be offered for the program, ensure that the program meets all accreditation requirements. (This should be in collaboration with the presenters but is ultimately the program organizer’s responsibility.)
• Confirm that all program presenters are aware of the registration requirements and that they have registered for the Conference and paid the applicable registration fee.

Deadline and Method for Proposing a Program

Program proposals must be submitted by 11:59 pm ET on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

Your login information for the proposal submission webpage is NOT the same as your ABA website login. You will need to create an account on this page in order to submit a proposal. Click "Log In" in the top right corner of the page, then click "Need to create an account?" and it will walk you through your account creation.

Program proposal form questions are available for review in advance of submission.

Please note that the form you are reading now is NOT the proposal submission form and you MUST submit your proposal through the Program Proposal Submission Site. Once you submit a proposal, you will be able to edit it until the September 25 submission deadline.

For Questions, Concerns, or Additional Information

Melissa Buckley - [email protected]

David Larson - [email protected]

About the Section of Dispute Resolution

The Section of Dispute Resolution provides members with accessible, relevant and cutting-edge information, practice tips, and skill-building opportunities. We are a vibrant forum for networking, professional development, and research that bridges together unique and diverse perspectives.

In addition to gaining access to member benefits like Section publications, resources, and networking opportunities throughout the year, Section members also receive a discounted registration rate to the Spring Conference. If you plan to attend the conference, we encourage you to join the Section first - the difference between the member and non-member conference registration rate is often more than the cost of joining the Section! If you are a law student, joining the Section is free.

Thank you for your interest in our signature annual event, and we look forward to welcoming you into our community!