ABA DR Section – Seeking a Host for the International Dispute Resolution Resource Center

Earlier this week FOI Nancy Welsh (Penn State – Dickinson) and current Chair of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section sent out the following solicitation about the soon to be implemented International Dispute Resolution Resource Center.   The solicitation reads as follows:

The ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, long active in supporting initiatives aimed at fostering the growth and quality of conflict resolution programs and education in the U.S., has recently expanded its efforts in the international realm—and is now exploring the potential for collaboration with interested law schools.

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The Section seeks to build on these successes in the international realm by creating an International Dispute Resolution Resource Center. The Resource Center will be implemented in stages. Initially, the goal is for the Center to serve as a clearinghouse of information related to international mediation and arbitration. The Resource Center had developed a roster of U.S. dispute resolution academics and practitioners with an interest in participating in international initiatives and the ability to fund their own travel.  The second stage of the Center will include the aspirational goal of facilitating the provision of various services, including consultation, training and education, and technical assistance abroad.  To support the development of sustainable dispute resolution programs, the Resource Center will attempt to match its resources and the knowledge of U.S. experts in the field with the identified needs of potential partners in developed and developing nations. Due to the different legal, economic and social cultures involved, the Section also anticipates important reciprocal learning. In addition, in stage two, a short summary of appropriate dispute resolution in each country (where access to such information is available) and links to rules/statutes/credentialing standards/ethical standards/and confidentiality rules will be developed.

The Section is now soliciting letters of intent from law schools interested in hosting and administering the site for the International Dispute Resolution Resource Center in collaboration with the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution.  In the summer of 2017, the Section will distribute an RFP to the law schools that submit appropriate letters of intent.  Schools submitting a letter of intent must be accredited by the ABA and should show: a demonstrated interest in dispute resolution methodologies; technological competence and capacity to host; willingness and ability to commit sufficient resources to the creation and maintenance of the site; and willingness and ability to work directly and in collaboration with the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution.  Schools also may identify criteria that they believe should be included in the Section’s RFP.

Please submit your letter of intent no later than March 31, 2017 to the Director of the Dispute Resolution Section, Linda Warren Seely (Linda.Seely@americanbar.org or 1050 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington DC, 20036).

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