Building Your Future in ADR: Career Insights from the Field 

What does it actually take to build a sustainable career in alternative dispute resolution? In this dynamic panel discussion, six distinguished ADR practitioners — spanning mediation, arbitration, community dispute resolution, legal practice, education, and organizational leadership — share candid insights, hard-won wisdom, and practical guidance for those at the beginning of their ADR journey.

Topics will include how to develop your professional identity and personal brand, the importance of specialization versus breadth, navigating ADR provider rosters and panel memberships, mentorship, bar association engagement, the role of volunteerism and community practice, social media and marketing, and the many unexpected paths that lead to a meaningful career in this field. Whether you are brand new to ADR or looking to take your practice to the next level, this conversation is for you.

About Our Panelists

Dr. Debra Dupree is an internationally recognized dispute resolution educator, keynote speaker, author, and mediator whose work focuses on transforming difficult conversations into opportunities for collaboration and understanding.

Harold Coleman, Jr., Esq. is an award-winning attorney, mediator, arbitrator, educator, and conflict management expert with more than 35 years of experience advancing alternative dispute resolution in the legal, business, and public sectors.

Jaclyn A. Brilling, Esq. is an attorney, mediator, arbitrator, and former Administrative Law Judge with extensive expertise in ethics, special education, environmental, and public utility law.

Jeffrey T. Zaino, Esq. serves as Vice President of the Commercial Division of the American Arbitration Association, where he oversees complex commercial cases and promotes the advancement of alternative dispute resolution nationwide.

Maria R. Volpe, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized scholar, professor, and director of the Dispute Resolution Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, whose research and practice have shaped the field of mediation and conflict resolution.

Timothy Lyon is Executive Director of Empowered Pathways, bringing firsthand experience in restorative justice, community mediation, and leadership development through New York's Community Dispute Resolution Center network.