More than 200 Minority Professionals Coming to Columbus for National ADR Training Institute at Capital University Law School

June 2, 2008

More than 200 minority ADR professionals from across the country are converging on Columbus June 2-6, 2008, to attend the 3rd National Training Institute for Minority Professionals in Alternative Dispute Resolution sponsored by Capital University Law School.

The institute provides training for a range of skill levels and topics for ADR professionals. The specialized trainings being offered by a national faculty are:

• Employment Discrimination Mediation/U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission;
• Truancy Mediation;
• Basic Mediation;
• Reservist Reintegration and Transitions Program;
• Bridges out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities’ and
• Community Engagement and Facilitation Skill Building.

“This is the largest enrollment we have had in our training institute,” said Professor of Law Floyd D. Weatherspoon, organizer of the institute and director of minority ADR initiatives at Capital University Law School. “I think it speaks to the need that minorities still have for access to the profession and the need for high-quality, yet affordable training. By taking one of our trainings, minorities are better preparing themselves for advancement opportunities within the profession and creating an invaluable network of other minority ADR professionals.”

This is the seventh year that Capital has sponsored an ADR program to promote opportunities and eliminate barriers for minority ADR professionals. The programs have provided affordable, high-quality training to expand skills in negotiation, mediation, facilitation and arbitration; greater access to the ADR marketplace; and have prepared professionals for advancement within the field of dispute resolution and conflict management.

This year’s institute addresses the growing use of ADR in the community by offering training in facilitating community engagement processes; truancy prevention; and a unique training to improve professional services and better assist clients from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in managing conflict.

In conjunction with the institute, the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM) is holding a Reservist Reintegration and Transitions Program training. This is a national support program providing pre- and post-deployment conflict resolution services to Reserves and National Guard families affected by deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. Ohio is one of four states (along with Vermont, Virginia and Illinois) where NAFCM is partnering with family assistance centers, veterans services, community mediation centers, health professionals, and others.

The institute is co-sponsored by The Supreme Court of Ohio and also has received the support of the:

• American Arbitration Association;
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission;
• Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA);
• The Keystone Center;
• National Association for Community Mediation;
• Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management; and
• University of Missouri School of Law.

For more information, contact Capital University Law School Professor Floyd Weatherspoon, director of minority ADR initiatives, at (614)236-6531.