Dispute Resolution Section
The WSBA Dispute Resolution Section promotes the informed use and best practices for all dispute resolution processes in Washington. Whether mediating, arbitrating or negotiating, every lawyer is a dispute resolution professional. The section is home to many attorneys who are also members of other sections.
The Dispute Resolution Section welcomes and encourages participation of all dispute resolution professionals. You don’t have to be a lawyer or a member of WSBA. This is the community for all dispute resolution professionals: mediators, arbitrators, and lawyers representing and advising their clients.
The Section provides benefits to members by participating in legislative activities that relate to dispute resolution and undertakes projects aimed at increasing the availability and quality of dispute resolution services throughout the state. The Section also sponsors an annual meeting, and provides other dispute resolution educational programs, including co-sponsorship of the annual Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference.
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The Dispute Resolution Section offers many resources and benefits for members. On this page you will find information about the section, upcoming events, as well as information about the section's executive committee.
Upcoming ProgramsSection InformationWebinars | Executive CommitteeExecutive Committee Meetings |
Upcoming Programs
NEW Webinar! Preparing Your Client for Mediation
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Dispute Resolution Section
Mediator Ann Marshall will offer tips and strategies for attorneys to prepare their clients for mediation and maximize their settlement results in a mediation session. Ann is a trusted dispute resolution professional with 25+ years of litigator and 10+ years of mediator experience. From complex risk analysis to empathy, she brings versatility to her work as a neutral built on decades of successful problem solving.
When: Feb. 5, 2025
Time: 10–11 a.m. PT
Credits: 1.00 Law & Legal Procedure
27th Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference - March 27-28, 2025, Seattle
Call for Proposals
You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the 27th Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference.
Sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association Dispute Resolution section, and hosted by the University of Washington School of Law, this is the premier regional event for conflict resolution practitioners, advocates and those curious to learn more about dispute resolution across practice areas and the myriad aspects of being human that impact the work of negotiation, mediation, arbitration, med-arb, and other non-litigation resolution of disputes.
Whether you or someone you know are an experienced presenter or a newcomer, we welcome your proposal for a 60, 75 or 90-minute session. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. For more information and to submit your proposal, please visit the conference website.
We're proud of our program and seek to continue to draw a wide array of speakers and attendees to the conference, believing deeply that attorneys, mediators, arbitrators, judicial officers, educators, social workers, human resources professionals, corporate leaders and others have much to offer one another.
The conference is also a great place to develop your presentation skills and professional brand in a safe, welcoming environment. In fact, two of our 2024 presenters were recently covered in national media: Sasha Philip on NPR's Life Kit ("Dealing with Neighbor Drama"); and Karis Nafte in the Washington Post ("Who gets the dog in the divorce? Now a judge may decide").
Call for Sponsors
Become a Sponsor at the 27th Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference. In addition to the packages offered on the conference website, we’re open to negotiating other sponsorship levels and recognition for sponsorship, based on your objectives and pocketbook.
Sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association Dispute Resolution section, this is the premier regional event for conflict resolution practitioners, advocates and those curious to learn more about dispute resolution across practice areas and the myriad aspects of being human that impact our work. Come be a part of it!
Based on past experience and our current investments in branding and marketing the conference, we are budgeting for attendance of at least 300 professionals at this two-day in-person event.
Save the Date
The 27th Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference will be held on March 27-28, 2025, at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. Registration will open in October, so please follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to stay up-to-date as the conference approaches.
Section Information
What We Do
The Dispute Resolution Section connects professionals with relevant dispute resolution resources and information:
- Educational presentations for both neutrals and advocates
- Unsurpassed networking opportunities with other dispute resolution professionals
- Cost-effective CLE credits in dispute resolution
How We Do It
The Dispute Resolution Section has an Executive Committee and five standing committees:
Click on any of the committee group pages above to learn more, see how they can help you in your dispute resolution practice and how you can get involved.
Webinars
On-Demand Seminar! Early Family Mediation (Legal LunchboxTM Series July 2023)
Early Family Mediation is a powerful tool to assist divorcing spouses in planning their separation and creating their settlement. In this seminar, we will learn about this practice area with seasoned practitioners.
Original Program Date: July 25, 2023
Credits: 1.50 Law & Legal Procedure
Check out the CLE Store On-Demand Page for more information or to take the Seminar!
Resolving Common Interest Community Disputes—Without Litigation
Developed in partnership with the WSBA Dispute Resolution Section
Watch the Video (two hours)
Please Note: If you do not have a Bar number, please enter "N/A" into the Bar number field.
Faculty:
Margo Keller, Washington Arbitration and Mediation Service, Seattle, WA
Mary B. Reiten, Peryea Silver Taylor, Seattle, WA
Paula Emery,
WSBA Dispute Resolution Section, Seattle, WA
Please note this archive recording is not accredited for CLE credit.
Executive Committee
Chair: Paula Emery (2024-2026) Vice Chair: Vacant (2024-2025) Immediate Past Chair: Courtland Shafer (2024-2026) Secretary: Dee Knapp (2024-2025) Treasurer: Courtland Shafer (2024-2025) Young Lawyer Liaison: Julia Doherty (2023-2025) Board of Governors Liaison*: Tom Ahearne (2024-2025) *Nonvoting member | At-Large Members: Vacant (2022-2025) Advisors*: |
Executive Committee Meetings
The Dispute Resolution Section Executive Committee conducts meetings on the third Friday of each month, beginning at noon and concluding by 1:30 p.m.
Executive Committee meetings are currently being conducted by teleconference only. You may attend virtually by following this link to the Zoom Meeting, or by calling 253-215-8782 and using passcode 12345. Please contact committee members for any other details on their upcoming meetings.
Join Our List Serve
The DR Section list serve is a great way to connect with your fellow dispute resolution professionals. Members on the list serve are now able to post directly to the list serve. In order to foster a welcoming and productive environment, the DR Section Executive Committee has adopted general list serve guidelines and section-specific list serve guidelines. To join the section list serve and for general section questions, please send your email address and Bar number to sections@wsba.org. If you are a conflict resolution professional in Washington State who is not eligible to join WSBA, become a member of our Conflict Resolution Practitioners Discussion Group to keep up to date on section activities.
