The dispute resolution body's CEO tells us what has changed and what has stayed the same
This year, the Resolution Institute celebrates a landmark 50 years in the legal industry. The dispute resolution body commemorated the milestone with events, webinars and special programmes that highlighted dispute resolution professionals across Australia and New Zealand.
Australasian Lawyer got a chance to chat to CEO Amber Williams on this momentous occasion, and in the first part of this interview, she tells us what she has found the most memorable about her time at the Resolution Institute, and how it feels to be at the helm on such a big year.
How does it feel to be leading the Resolution Institute into this milestone year?
It’s both humbling and energising. Resolution Institute has such a rich legacy, with 50 years of shaping the dispute resolution profession in Australia and New Zealand. To lead the organisation at this moment is a privilege and I feel a strong responsibility to honour the history and the generations of members who were part of it, with both LEADR and IAMA, while also ensuring we remain future-focused and responsive to the needs of our current members and the communities they serve
In your tenure at Resolution Institute, what’s been the most memorable event you got to be part of?
There have been many highlights, but the moments that stand out are when we’ve brought our members and community together—whether through our annual conferences, celebrating key milestones, or local events with our volunteer committees. These events show the strength and passion of our members, and the impact we can have collectively within the dispute resolution community.
I learn something at each and everyone of these events and it’s a real honour to be in the presence of our esteemed members. The sense of shared commitment to dispute resolution never fails to inspire me.
After 50 years, how have the goals of the Resolution Institute changed? What has stayed the same?
The core purpose has stayed constant: to support practitioners and promote high-quality dispute resolution as an alternative to costly and adversarial litigation. What has changed is the scale and scope of our work.
Fifty years ago, at the outset of IAA (and then IAMA) our focus was largely on introducing arbitration to the region. With the introduction of LEADR in the late 80’s, a strong facilitative element was introduced and today, we represent a broad church of dispute resolvers across multiple disciplines, operate trans-Tasman, and engage with governments, industries, and international partners. The commitment to excellence, standards, ethics, and our members remains the focus, but the reach and influence have grown enormously over the past 50 years as dispute resolution has become less ‘alternative’ and more mainstream.
What has changed is the scale and the context. Dispute resolution today is much more diverse, technology-driven, and global. Our goals now include championing innovation, supporting new pathways into accreditation, and ensuring our members are equipped for a world where disputes are increasingly complex and cross-border.
