Irvine, Calif. – The JAMS Foundation is pleased to present the 15th annual Warren Knight Distinguished Service Award to the Western Justice Center, along with a $25,000 grant. The award recognizes the Western Justice Center for its efforts to help equip the Greater Los Angeles Area with tools and resources to reduce violence in schools and promote conflict resolution skills and the use of restorative practices to encourage youth to become agents of change in their communities. The award will be presented by the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution on May 11 as part of the 2023 Dispute Resolution Spring Conference.
Created in memory of the founder of JAMS, H. Warren Knight, the Warren Knight Distinguished Service Award and grant recognizes the work of extraordinary individuals and organizations in advancing collaborative forms of dispute resolution and peaceful resolution of conflict.
We are proud to support the outstanding work of the Western Justice Center in leading the effort to train and mobilize members of the community to implement conflict resolution skills in schools. Its work is vital for creating learning environments that support the safety, equitable treatment and overall well-being of students in Los Angeles and beyond.
- David Brandon, managing director of the JAMS Foundation
The Western Justice Center is a nonprofit organization that builds an infrastructure for resilience through conflict resolution education in local schools and community partnerships throughout the Greater Los Angeles Area. Its online learning platform, School Tools, is accessed by educators in more than 150 countries worldwide. WJC drives transformational change in education by empowering youth, educators and administrators to be equal partners in creating safer, more inclusive learning environments through the use of restorative approaches, like student-led mediation, which provide evidence-based, trauma-informed alternatives to punitive discipline.
“Our mission is to empower youth and other members of diverse communities with the resources they need to decrease violence, resolve conflicts and promote restorative justice in our schools. We thank the JAMS Foundation for supporting our work through the decades and are deeply humbled by this honor. We hope this recognition will help us shine a light on the extraordinary students and educators who are transforming their schools into places of healing and transformation,” said Elissa Barrett, executive director of the Western Justice Center.
Judge Knight, who founded JAMS in January 1979, was a pioneer in the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and legal communities. He was instrumental in introducing and furthering ADR throughout the United States.
About the JAMS Foundation
The nonprofit JAMS Foundation was established in 2002 by JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide. The mission of the JAMS Foundation is to provide financial assistance for conflict resolution initiatives with national and international impact and to share its dispute resolution expertise for the benefit of the public interest.
The Foundation is funded entirely by contributions from JAMS neutrals, executives and associates, and by a substantial annual donation from JAMS. To uphold the company’s core value of neutrality, the Foundation accepts no donations outside of JAMS. The Foundation currently boasts 300 principal benefactors and has provided more than $11 million in grant funding since its inception.
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 30 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/.