Md. Admin. Order of 2019-12-06 (Adopting Standards of Conduct for Court-Designated Arbitrators, ...)

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF MARYLAND

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER

ADOPTING STANDARDS OF CONDUCT FOR

COURT-DESIGNATED ARBITRATORS, FACT FINDERS, NEUTRAL EVALUATORS,

AND

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE PRACTITIONERS

WHEREAS, the Maryland Rules of Procedure governing Alternate Dispute

Resolution (ADR) require that court-designated medi ators, arbitrators, and other ADR

practitioners abide by standards of conduct adopted by the Court of Appeals of Maryland;

and

WHEREAS, the Court of Appeals in the October 31, 2001, Administrative Order In

re: Standards of Conduct for Mediators, Arbitrators and other ADR Practitioners having

approved such standards of conduct, the standards of conduct having been proposed by the

Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office ( MACRO) and considered by the

Court at an open meeting; and

WHEREAS, MACRO, after convening a review process, h aving presented the

proposed Maryland Standards of Conduct for Arbitrators, Fact Finders, Neutral Evaluators,

and Settlement Conference Practitioners (Standards of Conduct) to the ADR Committee of

the Maryland Judicial Council for consideration; and

WHEREAS, the ADR Committee having approved the Stan dards of Conduct on

May 10, 2018, for consideration by the Judicial Council; and

WHEREAS, the Judicial Council having referred the S tandards of Conduct to the

Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure (Rules Committee) for review on

November 28, 2018; and

WHEREAS, the Rules Committee duly having considered the Standards of

Conduct, included them in its 201 st Report to the Court; and

WHEREAS, the Court, having held an open meeting on November 19, 2019, to

consider the 201 st Report, written commentary, and testimony provided at the meeting,

including the Standards of Conduct, and

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority conferred by Article IV, § 18 of the

Maryland Constitution and as part of its inherent power under the Constitution to regulate

the practice of law, it is this 6th day of December 2019,

ORDERED, by the Court of Appeals of Maryland, that the Maryland Standards of

Conduct for Arbitrators, Fact Finders, Neutral Eval uators, and Settlement Conference

Practitioners shall be, and hereby are, adopted, effective January 1, 2020; and it is further

ORDERED, by the Court of Appeals of Maryland, that the Maryland Standards of

Conduct for Arbitrators, Fact Finders, Neutral Eval uators, and Settlement Conference

Practitioners shall apply, to the fullest extent as may be practicable, to all court-designated

ADR practitioners other than mediators; and it is further

ORDERED, that the October 31, 2001, Administrative Order In re: Standards of

Conduct for Mediators, Arbitrators and other ADR Pr actitioners shall be, and hereby is,

rescinded as to the standards of conduct governing all court-designated ADR practitioners

other than mediators, effective January 1, 2020.

/s/ Mary Ellen Barbera

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary Ellen Barbera

/s/ Robert N. McDonald

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Robert N. McDonald

/s/ Shirley M. Watts

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shirley M. Watts

/s/ Michele D. Hotten

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Michele D. Hotten

/s/ Joseph M. Getty

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joseph M. Getty

/s/ Brynja M. Booth

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Brynja M. Booth

Pursuant to Maryland Uniform Electronic Legal Materials Act

(§§ 10-1601 et seq. of the State Government Article) this document

is authentic.

Date: December 6, 2019

2019-12-06 14:51-05:00

/s/ Suzanne C. Johnson

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Suzanne C. Johnson, Clerk

Suzanne C. Johnson

Clerk of the Court of Appeals