American Bar Association Energy and Resources Committees

Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee

2010-2011 Committee Chair:

John F. Gullace, Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP, Bala Cynwyd, PA

2009-2010 Committee Awards

This Committee was recognized with the following award within the Cross Practice Committees. (more)

• 2009-2010 Best Newsletters Award

Mission

Welcome to the SEER ADR Committee Web Page. Our Challenge is to provide dispute resolution information that is timely and relevant to environmental, energy and resource lawyers, practicing in large and small law firms, corporate legal departments, dispute resolution firms, public interest groups, universities and state and federal government agencies, and to individuals new to ADR as well as those having experience as a neutral, counsel for an ADR participant, or both. Our scope of interest covers traditional arbitration, various formats of binding and non-binding mediation, and a variety of stakeholder engagement techniques which are often referred to as "facilitation".

Committee Activities

Our Web Page is only one vehicle for meeting this challenge. We also attempt to participate in several interdisciplinary CLE programs each year, organize teleconferences, and provide programming for the Section Meetings. We also issue a semi-annual Committee Newsletter, containing information about ADR programs and developments, and articles by individuals both within and outside of the Committee.

Speaker’s Bureau

The Committee, in cooperation with the environmental committee of the ABA’s Dispute Resolution Section, established an Energy and Environmental Conflict Resolution and Prevention Speakers Bureau (“EEADR”). The Speakers Bureau will:

Provide easy access to speakers on the effective use of ADR approaches to solve environmental and energy industry problems.
Offer skilled presenters with a wealth of experience in the practice and use of ADR to support client interests and needs from a wide variety of private and public organizations.

The Committee will reach out to business groups and seek to offer speakers for presentations. All members of the ADR committee interested in devoting time to this effort may join the Speakers Bureau. For more details about the Speakers Bureau, click here. For a list of potential speakers and their biographies, click here. To make further inquires and arrange for speakers to meet specific needs and requirements please contact Edna Sussman at ESussman@sussmanadr.com, or Pam Esterman at pesterman@sprlaw.com

News

Wanted: Newsletter Items/Authors
Have you been involved in an interesting ADR process involving environmental, energy or resource issues? Please send a short description of your proposed article experience to the Newsletter Editor.

Environmental Dispute Resolution: An Anthology of Practical Experience
Environmental Dispute Resolution: An Anthology of Practical Experience provides comprehensive and thoughtful treatment of EDR for the serious practitioner and also practical guidance for those wishing to focus on particular aspects. This book provides a toolkit of diagnostics, systems, strategies and methodologies proven effective in diverse substantive contexts. Its chapters can be read in order or they can stand alone for the reader with a particular substantive or procedural focus. The information in this book will be invaluable to anyone involved with environmental risk management, environmental management systems, environmental dispute resolution, or sustainable development system design and implementation.

Membership

Because we are a relatively small committee (approximately 200 members) it is easy to get to know people and to become involved in activities. We also need all the help we can get, notwithstanding the hard work of our vice chairs,. So if you are already a member, please consider volunteering to help with a program or membership outreach effort and get in touch with one of the committee officers. If you are not a Committee member and have any interest whatsoever in ADR, you will find it very worthwhile to belong to our Committee. To join the committee just click on the join the committee tab.