Chicago – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce the addition of Hon. Grace G. Dickler (Ret.) to its panel. Judge Dickler joins JAMS as a 34-year veteran of the Cook County bench. She has focused exclusively on family law issues since 1991 and served as the presiding judge of the Domestic Relations Division for 11 years.
Judge Dickler presided over the 2017 restructuring of the division, consolidating parentage and dissolution of marriage cases into a single division, helping to end the differential treatment of litigants based on their marital status, advancing equity in domestic relations and removing the stigma placed on the children of unmarried parents. She also reorganized the division, adding expedited hearing judges and promoting access to justice for unrepresented litigants, including for incarcerated litigants appearing remotely. These innovations laid the groundwork for the court’s adoption of remote appearances in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based in the Chicago Resolution Center, Judge Dickler will serve as an arbitrator and mediator handling business and commercial, family law, and estate, probate and trust disputes. She is available to conduct sessions in person, as well as virtually for attorneys and their clients across the country.
Judge Dickler is highly regarded and known for her extensive work and expertise in family law. As a longtime ADR advocate, Judge Dickler understands the benefits and advantages of helping parties resolve disputes with the assistance of a neutral. We are looking forward to seeing her excel in this new role as a JAMS panelist.
- Chris Poole, JAMS CEO
Judge Dickler is a longtime proponent of mediation in the family law context. She led Cook County to become the first county in Illinois to enact a discretionary mediation rule, allowing judges to send litigants to mediation on financial issues. Judge Dickler also expanded the court’s Hearing Officer Program, giving unrepresented litigants faster and easier avenues for addressing child support and parenting plan needs, along with opportunities for early dispute resolution.
Solutions-oriented approaches are key to the successful resolution of disputes in family law matters. I’m looking forward to this exciting new chapter of my career to apply my skills and experience to continue resolving disputes.
- Hon. Grace G. Dickler (Ret.)
Judge Dickler received her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.
About JAMS – Local Solutions. Global Reach.
Founded in 1979, JAMS is the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide. JAMS successfully resolves and manages business and legal disputes by providing efficient, cost-effective and impartial ways to overcome barriers at any stage of conflict. JAMS offers customized in-person, virtual and hybrid resolution services locally and globally through a combination of industry-specific experience, first-class client service, the latest technology and highly trained mediators and arbitrators.
With a roster of over 400 neutrals and 29 locations, JAMS resolves thousands of the world’s important cases every year. JAMS neutrals are adept at managing the resolution process whether they are conducting in-person, virtual or hybrid hearings.
More information is available at www.jamsadr.com, and you can connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and our JAMS ADR blog. To learn about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at JAMS, visit www.jamsadr.com/diversity/.