Standing Committees

Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution

2020-2021 Officers:

Marc Alexander, Chair
Jeffery J. Daar, Vice Chair
Gary Sanders, Secretary

Immediate Past Co-Chairs:

About the Committee:

Thank you for your interest in applying to serve as a member of the Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution. We are a collegial, active committee that seeks to:

provide members of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) with quality continuing education on Alternative Dispute Resolution;
comment on proposed changes to state and federal law and rules that affect Alternative Dispute Resolution; and
Prepare suggested amendments to court rules and statutes pertaining to Alternative Dispute Resolution;
Identify issues regarding the relationship of ADR to the practice of law, the administration of justice and improving access to justice and make proposals or recommendations to the Executive Committee based on the issues identified;
Keep the Litigation Section abreast of ADR issues that may have an impact on Section members.

We are committed to including dispute resolution professionals from a broad range of subject areas and practice types, including practitioners from large ADR providers and solo practitioners, ADR court practitioners, and academics. In selecting new members, the Committee also seeks diversity in terms of practice area, geographic location, ethnicity, and gender/gender identity.

Committee Oversight: The Litigation Section Executive Committee

Number of Members: 18

Member Terms: Three years. Terms begin and end on the last day of the CLA Annual Meeting.

Meetings: We typically meet by phone every two months and in person three times per year.

Expectations: The Committee expects each member to help with at least one of the following projects per year:

organize or help organize an MCLE program (either a webinar or a live panel);
write an article for California Litigation journal;
prepare a written MCLE test;
draft and finalize the committee’s comments on a proposed rule change;
assist the executive committee as requested.

In addition, each member is expected to participate in all Committee meetings and the selection of new members.

Applicants must be members of the Litigation, Business, or Family Law Section of CLA, or must join one of these sections once selected for membership on the Committee. If joining one of these sections would present a problem, an applicant may explain the problem in a cover letter, and an exception to the requirement will be considered.