The Ombuds Blog: ABA Ombuds Committee Open Meeting for Early Career Ombuds

February 17, 2026

ABA Ombuds Committee Open Meeting for Early Career Ombuds

The Ombuds Committee of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section is hosting a three-part series on the life cycle of an Ombuds. The first session is "Emerging Ombuds: New & Early Career Reflections" and takes place on February 24, 2026, at 12:00pm EST. All three sessions are open and free to nonmembers.

Committee member Shira Harris organized the panel and will serve as a moderator for four panelists: Jan Amano, Associate University Ombudsman, UNC Charlotte; Shameka Sutton, Ombudsman and Special Advisor, National Credit Union Administration; Alnoor Maherali, Ombuds and Mediator for several organizations, including MWI and the UN; and Fernando Navarro Sanchez, Ombudsman, Pan American Health Organization. (LinkedIn.)

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany/Austria -- Ombudspersonen and Ombudsleute

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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February 17, 2026

ABA Ombuds Committee Open Meeting for Early Career Ombuds

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