As I end my term as section chair, I look back at the interesting opportunities we had and the work we did this year. Membership continues to increase, numbering well over 300 at this writing. This year, we reviewed and declined to endorse the Uniform Mediation Act, as drafted, because of concerns about the adequacy of its confidentiality provisions. We also worked with MACRO to address quality assurance issues related to mediation and we had an open Section meeting with MACRO officials to discuss these concerns. We consulted with the Business and Technology Task Force about qualifications for neutrals handling these disputes. We participated in a Workplace Dispute Resolution conference co-sponsored by MACRO and the UB Center for Negotiations and Conflict Resolution.

Our newsletter is well off the ground and our member Email List is being developed. (Please see the instructions on the outside cover to add yourself to the new Email List.) Our annual section dinner was a tremendous success. The Honorable William Webster was a sensational speaker and many members used the pre-dinner reception to network with others. Our mid-year meeting presentation in Las Vegas was very well-received and I look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting in Ocean City, where we are co-sponsoring a program with the Labor and Employment section. In September, we will co-sponsor a MICPEL program dealing with effectively representing clients in mediation.

This has been a banner year- our second as a section- and it has been an honor to serve as your chair. I’d like to thank the section council members for countless hours of work devoted to improving the quality of dispute resolution practice in Maryland. Have a great summer and look for more updates in upcoming newsletters.