For Immediate Release

(ANNAPOLIS, MD--June 15, 1999) Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) will be the topic of this year's Maryland Judicial Conference, to be held Thursday, June 17 and Friday, June 18 in Hunt Valley. The second day of the conference will be devoted almost exclusively to discussing ADR, including a keynote address by the Honorable Thomas J. Moyer, Chief Justice of Ohio, and workshops that cover the many facets of dispute resolution, ranging from "Revealing the Magic That Makes Mediation Work," to "ADR in Criminal Cases." 

The Conference's focus on alternative dispute resolution reflects the Judiciary's successful efforts to keep Maryland in the forefront of the national ADR movement. According to Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert M. Bell, "People file lawsuits because they have disputes that they have been unable to resolve by other means. Yet, a review of our case load statistics show that the vast majority of cases do not reach disposition by court trial. Rather, they are resolved by the court on motion, with most cases settled or abandoned, many on the eve of trial. Not only is it an inefficient use of scarce court resources, there are alternatives that empower parties to resolve their disputes in a less adversarial, more cooperative way. It is these ADR techniques that may provide a qualitatively better solution to a dispute than traditional litigation, particularly in family disputes and other cases where the parties will need to deal with each other long after judgment is rendered in the case."

The State has made great strides recently in its ADR efforts. After over a year of research, public fora and intense collaboration with educators, legislators, and other interested parties, the Maryland ADR Commission has released a draft Practical Action Plan that, when implemented, will bring arbitration, mediation, negotiation, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution into all aspects of society -- including our communities, schools, government offices, and workplaces. The Commission plans to finalize the Action Plan late this summer and begin implementing it in the fall.

Concurrently, the Maryland Judiciary, through rules adopted by the Court of Appeals and practices inaugurated in the Court of Special Appeals and the trial courts, is working to make ADR a viable alternative to a court trial. Chief Judge Bell said, "The Maryland Judiciary is firmly committed to advancing the use of ADR in our society. We are taking the lead, because we, unlike most other institutions, are almost exclusively in the business of resolving conflicts. Devoting this judicial conference to the practice of ADR is an important step towards adopting and making ADR a preferred means of dispute resolution in appropriate cases."

Members of the media are invited to attend the Judicial Conference; virtually all Maryland judges will be in attendance. If you would like to attend, and wish to interview speakers or others involved in this conference, please contact the Court Information Office in advance at (410) 260-1488, so that arrangements can be made for you.