Section News

Spring Conference Sets a Wintry Record

Section of Dispute Resolution members gathered in Minneapolis from April 10 through April 13 for a record-breaking conference. The conference took place during what meteorologists call a “bomb cyclone,” a storm that intensifies very rapidly, making this the snowiest and coldest spring gathering on record. Despite the weather, our intrepid attendees participated in stellar educational programs and networking and even ventured out to enjoy one of the city’s cultural gems at a Friday evening reception at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Fowler Law School Team Triumphs in Mediation Competition

In conjunction with the Spring Conference, the National Finals of the ABA Representation in Mediation Competition were held in Minneapolis on April 10 and April 11. Eight schools from across the country competed. The team from Fowler School of Law at Chapman University in southern California survived the two opening rounds, the semi-finals, and the finals to win the national championship. ABA National Representation in Mediation Competition coordinating committee members Rishi Batra and Lauren Newell presented the award to the winning team members from Chapman, Drake Mirsch and Sarah Bennett.

AFCC Receives Lawyer as Problem Solver Award

Former Section of Dispute Resolution Chair Geetha Ravindra presented the 2019 ABA Lawyer as Problem Solver Award to the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).  As she explained in giving the award, the AFCC has long been in a leader in the area of family law, identifying difficult, divisive issues related to the resolution of family law disputes and convening interdisciplinary groups of people to try to move them forward. Peter Salem, the AFCC’s executive director, accepted the award.

Section Chair’s Awards Presented to Philip Cottone and Linda Warren Seely

Section Chair Harrie Samaras presented Chair’s Awards to two members of the Section of Dispute Resolution “family.” Phil Cottone, who served as assistant budget officer from 2009 to 2016, developed and ran the Spring Conference Sponsorship Program, and has organized and spoken at many institutes and events, was honored for his many years as an active member of the Section and advisor to leadership. Linda Warren Seely, who has been our Section’s director since 2016, was commended for leading the way for our Section as it seeks to serve attorneys, other professionals, and society.

Joseph Stulberg Receives Scholarly Work Award

At the Legal Educators Colloquium Luncheon on April 13, the Conference’s last day, Professor Joseph (Josh) Stulberg received the Outstanding Scholarly Work award for his decades of influential research and writing. In accepting the award, Professor Stulberg, a former co-chair of the Dispute Resolution Magazine editorial board and the Michael E. Moritz Chair in Alternative Dispute Resolution at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, expressed gratitude for the collegiality and support he has received from the dispute resolution academic community. 

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