This blog entry is copied from an e-mail I received from Maureen Beyers, which she sent on behalf of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution's Committee on Women in Dispute Resolution (WIDR):
The statistics for women in ADR are profoundly discouraging and show that much effort is needed for women to achieve parity in the profession.
A study published in the ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine found that women served as arbitrators in only 18% of cases overall. The only subject matters that exceed that 18% baseline are family, employment, consumer, and small claims. A recent Law.com article reported that "in business disputes last year, AAA reported that 22 percent of arbitrators selected were either a woman or a minority." The ABA study demonstrated that women mediators do not fare much better: They were mediators in only 25% of cases with more than $100,000 in dispute, and only 23% when more than $1,000,000 was in controversy. According to statistics provided by JAMS and reported by Law.com, only 25 percent of JAMS neutrals are women and only 7 percent are minorities. The issue is more than just gender parity, as important as that is; the imbalance impacts the fairness of the process. As the Law.com article notes, the "lack of diversity alters the dynamics in arbitration, and possibly the outcomes ... There can be a subtle disconnect, an awkward language barrier, lack of trust – even naked biases."
The ABA Section of Dispute Resolution's Committee on Women in Dispute Resolution (WIDR) is working to change these outcomes. We need your help. WIDR has created a WIDR Directory of Neutrals – please pass this along to your friends and colleagues to help us promote diversity in dispute resolution!
The statistics for women in ADR are profoundly discouraging and show that much effort is needed for women to achieve parity in the profession.
A study published in the ABA Dispute Resolution Magazine found that women served as arbitrators in only 18% of cases overall. The only subject matters that exceed that 18% baseline are family, employment, consumer, and small claims. A recent Law.com article reported that "in business disputes last year, AAA reported that 22 percent of arbitrators selected were either a woman or a minority." The ABA study demonstrated that women mediators do not fare much better: They were mediators in only 25% of cases with more than $100,000 in dispute, and only 23% when more than $1,000,000 was in controversy. According to statistics provided by JAMS and reported by Law.com, only 25 percent of JAMS neutrals are women and only 7 percent are minorities. The issue is more than just gender parity, as important as that is; the imbalance impacts the fairness of the process. As the Law.com article notes, the "lack of diversity alters the dynamics in arbitration, and possibly the outcomes ... There can be a subtle disconnect, an awkward language barrier, lack of trust – even naked biases."
The ABA Section of Dispute Resolution's Committee on Women in Dispute Resolution (WIDR) is working to change these outcomes. We need your help. WIDR has created a WIDR Directory of Neutrals – please pass this along to your friends and colleagues to help us promote diversity in dispute resolution!
