Schedule | Registration | Hotel & Travel | Speakers | Sponsors

Tentative Schedule 

The ACAN Annual Meeting "Justice Reimagined: Neutrals as Catalysts for Court Innovation" will feature discussions about how to be selected as a neutral, new roles for neutrals, and how we can better serve the administration of justice and our fellow citizens.

Wednesday, March 11

2:30pm - 5:00pm

Registration Open

3:30pm

President's Welcome

3:45pm - 5:15pm

De-Escalation, Protest, and the Messages We Send

Speaker:
Douglas E. Noll, Author of De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less

5:15pm - 5:30pm

Sponsor Spotlight & What Do I Do?

6:00pm

Welcome Reception

 Thursday, March 12

8:00am - 5:30pm

Registration Open

8:30am - 9:30am

Effective Communication Across Differences

Moderated by: Hon. Jeremy Fogel (Ret.), Berkeley Judicial Institute 

9:30am - 9:45am

Sponsor Spotlight & What Do I Do?

9:45am - 10:00am

Break

10:00am - 11:00am

Effective Communication Across Differences: Practice Session

11:00am - 12:00pm

How Courts and Attorneys Choose Court-Appointed Neutrals

Panelists:
Hon. Charles R. Breyer, Senior United States District Judge, Northern District of California
Elizabeth Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Molly Lane, Morgan Lewis & Bockius
More to be announced
Moderated by: Jill M. Manning, JAMS

12:00pm - 1:30pm

Lunch On Your Own

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Practical Nuts and Bolts for Court-Appointed Neutrals

Panelists: 
Hon. Stephen Freccero, Superior Court of California
Jill Kopeikin, ADR Director, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
David Tenner, ACAN Past President
Janice Sperow, Sperow ADR Services, APC
Moderated by: Dana Welch, Welch ADR

2:30pm - 2:45pm

Sponsor Spotlight & What Do I Do?

2:45pm - 3:00pm

Break

3:00pm - 4:00pm

Challenges Requiring Appointment of Neutrals

Panelists:
David Molton, Brown Rudnick LLP
Deborah Greenspan, ACAN President
More to be announced

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Court-Appointed Neutrals in Criminal Proceedings

6:30pm - 9:00pm

ACAN Annual Reception & Keynote Dinner

9:00pm

After-Hours Networking

 Friday, March 13

7:30am - 4:30pm

Registration Open

8:30am - 9:30am

Challenges Requiring Appointment of Court-Appointed Neutrals

Panelists:
Hon. Gail Andler (Ret.), JAMS 
Rahul Ravipudi, Panish Shea & Boyle LLP
Douglas Dixon, Partner at Hueston Hennigan LLP 
Moderated by: Douglas Young, JAMS

9:30am - 9:45am

Sponsor Spotlight & What Do I Do?

9:45am - 10:00am

Break

10:00am - 11:00am

Court-Appointed Neutrals in Settlements

Panelists: 
Miriam Wolock, Law Office of Miriam Z. Wolock, PLLC
Dr. H. Luke Shaefer, University of Michigan
Dr. Julie Kaplow, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Emily Kent, PwC 
Moderated by: Deborah Greenspan, ACAN President

11:00am - 12:00pm

Ethics for Court-Appointed Neutrals

Moderated by: Edgar C. Gentle, III, ACAN Past President & Treasurer

12:15pm - 1:30pm

Keynote Luncheon

Keynote Speaker: Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of UC Berkeley School of Law

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Conversation with Chief Justice Seitz

Facilitated by: Bill Johnston, ACAN Board Member

2:30pm - 2:45pm

Sponsor Spotlight & What Do I Do?

2:45pm - 3:00pm

Break

3:00pm - 4:00pm

Court-Appointed Neutrals in Action - Access to Justice

Panelists:
Eric Helland, RAND
More to be announced

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Program TBA

5:00pm - 5:15pm

ACAN Annual Business Meeting: Announcement of 2026-2027 Officers and Board of Directors 

6:00pm - 9:00pm

Dine Arounds, Dutch Treat

Saturday, March 14

9:30am - 4:00pm

Group Winery Tours - Optional