The pandemic caused, and continues to cause, an upheaval of our “normal”  lives. As this Bar year  winds to a close, we want to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the Dispute Resolution  Section for their willingness to participate in our programming during this unprecedented Bar year. The   September   2020   program   was   a   joint   meeting   with   the Construction  Law   section  presenting:  "Best  Practices  for  Virtual Mediations  and  Arbitrations"  moderated  by   Eric   B.   Coleman (Partner, Winter Capriola Zenner) and Jennifer B. Grippa  (Miles Mediation  &   Arbitration)  and  featuring  speakers  Jennifer   W. Fletcher   (Partner,  Eversheds  Sutherland); 
 Herbert   “Hal”   Gray III     (Partner  Ragsdale  Beals  Seigler  Patterson  &  Gray,  LLP);  Jessica  Sabbath  (Senior Attorney, King & Spalding) and Keith  L. Richardson (Partner, Kilpatrick  Townsend & Stockton, LLP).

In  October  2020,  Shelby  Grubbs  (JAMS)  and  Glenn  Hendrix (Arnall  Golden  Gregory  LLP)  were  the  featured  speakers  at  a program entitled "Third Party Subpoenas in Arbitration,"  moderated by Joyce B. Klemmer (JAMS).

Our  November  2020  program  highlighted  "Marketing  Your  ADR Practice in Our New Normal." Susan  Guthrie, experienced attorney, mediator, online mediation expert, and podcast host was our featured  speaker. Susan provided tips on platforms that ADR practitioners can use to expand their mediation  and arbitration practices. Our thanks to Doug Witten (Innovative ADR) for organizing this meeting.

In December 2020, the Section tackled the thorny issues that arise for arbitrators, lawyers, and  parties, when dealing with different types of  awards:  Interim,  Partial,  Final,  and  Consent   Awards.  We  were provided with excellent insights by Melinda Holladay (AAA); our own section  leader Joyce B. Klemmer  (JAMS) and Curtis Romig (Bryan Cave). Erika Birg (Nelson Mullins)  moderated.

The January 2021 meeting was joint meeting with the Family Law Section  presenting  "Dealing  with  an  Unrepresented  Party"  with speakers:  Michelle  H.  Jordan  (Managing  Attorney,  Atlanta  Legal Aid Society Downtown Family Law Unit); Hon. Rebecca Crumrine Rieder  (Superior Court Judge, Atlanta Judicial Circuit) and Hon. Gail S. Tusan, Senior Judge (JAMS) moderated by Eileen Thomas 
(Eileen Thomas, LLC).

Our   March   2021   program,   cleverly   titled   "From   Bulldogs   to Lapdogs: Negotiating Styles and How They Can Impact a Mediation" was moderated by Hon. Gail S. Tusan, Senior Judge (JAMS) with speakers   Frank   A.   Lightmas,   Jr.   (Independent   Mediator   and Arbitrator); Gregory T. Presmanes (Bovis Kyle Mediations); Lynn M.  Roberson   (Miles  Mediation  and  Arbitration)  and  Bernard Taylor (JAMS).

April  2021  we  partnered  with  the  Litigation  Section  to  present "Using ADR to Defeat the Pandemic" moderated by Terrance Lee Croft (JAMS) with speakers Hon. Cynthia Wright (JAMS); Joseph Murphey   (Miles  Mediation  and  Arbitration);  and  Tucker   Ely (Partner, Fellows LaBriola LLP).

Our  final  program  of  the  Bar  year,  "Approaches  to  a  Successful Multi-Party  Mediation"  was  moderated  by  Gerald  B.  Kline,  Esq. (Taylor English Duma LLP) with speakers Bruce Barrickman (BAY Mediation & Arbitration Services); Victor J. Faenza (BAY Mediation & Arbitration Services) and George C. Reid (The Reid Firm, LLC). We also want to thank our Sponsors whose support helped make these  programs  possible:  American  Arbitration  Association,  Bay Mediation  &  Arbitration  Services,  Henning,  Huseby.com Global Litigation   Support,   IAG   Forensics   &   Valuation,   JAMS,   Miles Mediation   &   Arbitration,   National   Arbitration   &   Mediation, Network 1 Consulting, Inc.

Board of Directors
Chair Joyce Klemmer (JAMS), Vice Chair/Chair-Elect Scott Zucker (Weissmann  Zucker  Euster  Morochnik,  PC),  Secretary/Treasurer Eileen   Thomas   (Eileen  Thomas,  LLC),  Immediate  Past  Chair Charles Dalziel  (Dalziel Law Firm); and Members-at-Large Erika Birg (Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP), Jennifer Grippa (Miles Mediation & Arbitration Services, LLC), Gerald Kline 
(Taylor English Duma, LLP), Frank Lightmas (The Law Offices of Frank A. Lightmas Jr., LLC), Greg Presmanes (Bovis Kyle Burch & Medlin)