The Ombuds Blog: ABA Ombuds Committee Signals Pivot to State Legislative Strategy

March 06, 2026

ABA Ombuds Committee Signals Pivot to State Legislative Strategy

Following the adoption of Resolution 503 by the American Bar Association House of Delegates endorsing the Organizational Ombuds Practices Act, the ABA’s Ombuds Committee is shifting its focus to state-level strategy. The committee will devote its meeting on March 24, 2026, to a discussion of next steps for advancing the Act through state legislatures, marking the beginning of the effort to translate the ABA endorsement into legislation.

The meeting will feature insights from several individuals with experience working with state legislatures, including Charles L. Howard (consultant, author of two books on Ombuds practice, and former IOA Executive Director), Bruce MacAllister (consultant and former Ombuds for LANL, IFFOR, and the University of Oregon), Joanne MacDonnell (Arizona State Ombudsman), and Doug Mintz (retired CT Superior Court judge). Their perspectives will help inform how the Ombuds community and the ABA might approach state legislative engagement following the national endorsement of the model Act. (ABA Events.)

Updated 3/7/26: Corrected name and added title for Joanne MacDonnell.

2 comments:

Anonymous3/07/2026 5:48 AM
Excellent news! The next steps should also include lobbying to have the (used to be called Regional) higher-ed accreditation bodies require ombuds. They already require all manner of offices.
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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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