In March 2018, actor Frances McDormand instructively and figuratively dropped the mic during her much-publicized Oscar acceptance speech when she left her audience with the following, “I have two words to leave with you tonight ... inclusion rider.”

At that time, the term was not well known and left many outside of the Dolby Theatre walls wondering what her words meant. Of course, many individuals in the entertainment industry were fully aware of what an inclusion rider was and now, seven months later, we’re seeing increased efforts towards inclusion and diversity.

The Addition of the Inclusion Rider in Arbitration

In a recent article, Kim Taylor, senior vice president and chief legal and operating officer at JAMS, discusses the importance of inclusion and diversity as it relates to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and specifically arbitration. As a company that recognizes the benefits of recruiting and retaining the most qualified ADR professionals and panelists inclusive of varied ethnicity, race, gender, religion and sexual orientation, it is a priority at JAMS to promote the inclusion rider option in our Domestic and International Clause Workbooks.

Encouraging Diversity

Read Kim’s thoughts about what prompted the change at JAMS and how JAMS is supporting diversity and inclusion within the legal community, which were recently published in the Corporate Counsel Business Journal’s October 2018 issue in an article titled, “Model Arbitration Rider Encourages Diversity in Selection of Neutrals.”