UN Ombuds to Headline ABA Dispute Resolution Conference

John Barkat will be the featured plenary speaker at the American Bar Association, 18th Annual Section of Dispute Resolution Spring Conference in New York, April 7-9, 2016. Barkat, the Assistant Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services Office, will speak on Thursday morning and his remarks are titled "The Naked Prince: Conflict, Change & the Art of Collaborative Leadership." 

The conference is one of largest ADR gatherings in the U.S. and regularly includes Ombuds as speakers and panelists.  This year, concurrent sessions include:

Natural Allies--The Mediator and the Ombuds: Shared Lessons and Opportunities for Collaboration
This program, presented by experienced mediators and ombuds, will discuss the similarities, differences and complimentary roles of mediators and ombuds. It will include a comparison of the role of mediation and mediation techniques with the role and approaches used by ombuds within conflict management systems. It is designed to inform mediators about ombuds programs to help them better understand what ombuds do and to equip them to advocate for the creation of ombuds programs where appropriate.
Charles Howard, Shipman & Goodwin LLP, Hartford, CT
Natalie Fleury, Milwaukee, WI, United States
Caroline Adams, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
Michael Steinberg, New York City, NY, United States
Janis Schonauer, Costa Mesa, CA, United States

Ethical Oversight of the ADR Practitioner: What Happens in Response to Complaints?
As mediation and other forms of mediation mature in the U.S. and internationally, a subject of growing interest is: How do we implement oversight and accountability for compliance with ethical standards and practice guidelines? How do concerns surface, and what happens in response? What about various ADR settings -- court-adjoined mediation programs, government programs, Ombuds, private practitioners, the international arena? Three highly experienced practitioners, all attorney-mediators, from different ADR arenas, will display information and lead a discussion of audience experience.
Norval ("John") Settle, SETTLEment Associates, LLC, Richmond, VA, United States
Linda Toyo Obayashi, World Bank Group, Internal Justice System, Washington,, DC, United States
Cindy Mazur, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC

Teaching about Ombuds Programs in Dispute Resolution Courses: A Report from the Law School Outreach Task Force of the Ombuds Committee
The Ombuds Committee has created a task force, including several members who have presented lectures or taught courses at law schools, to develop course lectures, PowerPoint presentations, suggested reading lists and other resource materials, and a listing of knowledgeable ombuds throughout the country to assist law professors in teaching about the different types of ombuds programs as part of ADR systems design or introductory dispute resolution courses. This program will present the work product of the Task Force for comment and seek feedback from the legal educators present at the Saturday session.
Charles Howard, Shipman & Goodwin LLP, Hartford, CT
Natalie Fleury, Milwaukee, WI, United States
Caroline Adams, Santa Barbara, CA, United States

(ABA DRS 2016 Conf Info.)

Related posts: ABA Dispute Resolution Conference (2007); ABA Dispute Resolution Annual Conference (2008); ADR Conference in New York (2009); 12th Annual ABA Dispute Resolution Conference Set for San Francisco (2010); ABA 2011 Dispute Resolution Conference Set for Denver; 2012 ABA Dispute Resolution Conference in Washington; ABA Launches Ombuds Task Force; American Bar Association 2014 ADR Conference Includes Two Sessions About Ombuds; ABA/Dispute Resolution Section Ombuds Committee Seeks Members; ABA Business Law Section: "The Ombuds Are Coming!"; ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Seeks Submissions for 2015 Conference; ABA Committee Outlines its Goals; ABA Dispute Resolutions Newsletter Focuses on Ombuds; Guide to Ombuds Sessions at 2015 ABA Dispute Resolution Conference.