The Voice of Experience: Seasoned practitioners share their insight and advice with beginning practitioners in this monthly Just Resolution's column.

Remembering the Tragic Loss of Michael McKenna

Faces and Places

Section Director Ellen Miller to become Executive Director of the San Diego County Bar Association

The members and staff of the Section of Dispute Resolution wish a fond farewell to our Section Director Ellen Miller as she leaves the ABA to become the Executive Director of the San Diego County Bar Association. She returns to San Diego with her husband and mediator, Dennis Sharp and their four year old daughter, Rachael. Ellen’s last day will be January 11, 2008.

The Section has made many significant gains during Ellen’s tenure as Section Director.

As a member of the Section since 1996 and a former committee chair, Ellen strived to assess projects through the eyes of a member and ensure that the members were provided with timely, value added and useful information to help them in their day to day practice. With Ellen’s vision, Just Resolutions was transformed from a quarterly printed edition to an electronic format published ten times a year that provides practical content to members while also adding content to the Section’s web site. During Ellen’s tenure, all Section resources, publications, and brochures went through a visual overhaul, to match the vibrancy of Section activities. The Section’s book program was also enhanced and transformed. Beginning with the publication of the Negotiator’s Fieldbook, and Making Money Talk, the Section embarked on a collaboration with ABA Books in Chicago and for the first time, began selling books on Amazon.com.

During this time, the Section’s membership also doubled to over 18,000 members and now includes a significant law student community. Ellen’s ability to see the big picture and also focus on the details helped guide the Section through several successful Spring Conferences, National Institutes and other CLE events. Over 1,200 people attended ADR in Bloom this past April in Washington D.C. and the 2008 Spring Conference in Seattle promises to be our best conference yet. Ellen’s desire to make our CLE events fresh, new and welcoming helped ensure that the Section’s Spring Conference continues to be an important meeting place for attorneys, mediators, arbitrators, judges, researchers, teachers, and trainers dedicated to ADR.

The Section also began several significant policy initiatives under Ellen’s leadership. The Section’s Committee on Mediator Ethical Guidance was established to respond to questions about the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators. The Task Force on Improving the Quality of Mediation was formed to investigate factors that define high quality mediation practice. The revision and roll out of the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators, in conjunction with AAA and ACR, was also completed during Ellen’s tenure.

Section Chair Larry Mills summed up Ellen’s impact when he said “In working closely with Ellen over the past year, I have valued her amazing organizational talents, excellent judgment, and sense of humor. Ellen will be greatly missed.”

We would like to express our gratitude to Ellen for her selfless dedication to the Section. Her keen insight and endless energy helped the Section mature into the premiere membership organization for ADR professionals. Thank you Ellen, you will be truly missed.

Former Director Ellen Miller and Section Chair Larry Mills