The American Bar Association (ABA) Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Dispute Resolution Committee is an active committee that provides a forum for outstanding neutrals—arbitrators and mediators—to improve their craft. We have well-attended monthly meetings where we discuss cutting-edge issues related to alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Many of those meetings have guest speakers who provide their perspectives on mediation and arbitration.
TIPS has many substantive committees with experts in various niche areas of the law. But what do all of those distinct committees have in common? The vast majority of their disputes settle. And even when they do not, clients often prefer arbitration as a faster, more cost-effective alternative to litigation. That’s where we come in. The Dispute Resolution Committee is dedicated to increasing the value we provide not only to our members but to all TIPS members.
Along those lines, we have increased collaboration efforts with other committees and ABA Sections. Within the last year, we cosponsored a panel at the TIPS Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee annual meeting in La Jolla, and we presented a two-part risk assessment series with the Early Dispute Resolution Committee of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section. Our members have presented during meetings for other TIPS committees, and we have invited guests to our own meetings.
We have a great newsletter, spearheaded by editor Rich Mason. In addition to getting out several editions each year, we frequently have free “Meet the Authors” webinars where people can informally ask questions and discuss issues addressed in the articles.
The Dispute Resolution Committee is dedicated to improving, and one of our goals is to provide more networking opportunities for ADR providers to interact with ADR consumers. We do not want to be seen as a group of mediators, but rather as a group that discusses mediation. The best discussions involve the viewpoints of all stakeholders. So, if you are a litigator who mediates, we invite you to our meetings on the fourth Thursday of every month at 4:00 p.m. Central time.
We also realize that our committee is not the Mediation Committee; it is the Dispute Resolution Committee. So we also provide programs about arbitration. For example, we conducted a two-part webinar focused on the nuts and bolts of arbitration.
Finally, we are excited to be planning our first-ever national in-person conference. Mark your calendars: September 16 in Chicago. The program will have attorneys, mediators, arbitrators, judges, and in-house professionals from around the country. Highlights include:
Hear from attorneys who represent plaintiffs, defendants, policyholders, and insurers, both from firms and in-house. Afterward, we will have some great networking opportunities. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago and at our monthly meetings.
