Judge Daniel Weinstein and JAMS Foundation Partner to Endow International Fellowship Program for the Next 20 Years

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 10, 2013) - The nonprofit JAMS Foundation announced that prominent JAMS mediator and ADR pioneer, Hon. Daniel Weinstein (Ret.), has partnered with the JAMS Foundation to fully endow the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program for the next 20 years. Judge Weinstein's generous contributions of time, money and leadership will ensure the continuation and vitality of the Fellowship Program over decades to come. The JAMS Foundation, supported by the contributions of JAMS panelists, will partner with Judge Weinstein and will continue to administer the Fellowship Program. The funding provided by Judge Weinstein and the JAMS Foundation will provide a minimum of $6 million over the next 20 years to fund the Program.

Judge Weinstein conceived of and funded the Fellowship Program to provide opportunities for ADR professionals from throughout the world to learn more about dispute resolution in the United States. Under the guidance of JAMS and experienced JAMS panelists, Weinstein Fellows are funded to come to the United States to pursue projects of their own design that advance ADR practices in their home countries. To date there have been 51 Fellows from 44 countries studying in the United States for periods of three months to one year. Many of the previous class members have returned home to create ADR laws, lead mediation and arbitration trainings for judges and elected officials, implement ADR programs and establish ADR centers. Former Fellows are from countries such as Nigeria, Bhutan, Nepal, China and India, and are the new pioneers of ADR around the globe.

Now in its fifth year, the class of 2013 includes 11 Fellows from various countries including Egypt, Mexico, Iran, Israel, Afghanistan and Turkey.

"I'm pleased this donation will help fund the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program for years to come," said Judge Weinstein. "I'm so proud of the Program that we've created over the past five years and the Fellows we've met and worked with. I look forward to creating more successful relationships with these ADR professionals in the years to come."

"We at JAMS thank Judge Weinstein for inspiring a Program that has such a positive impact worldwide and for this financial endowment to ensure its continuation," said Chris Poole, JAMS president and CEO. "His donation allows us to continue making a significant impact in the global ADR community."

"My time as a Weinstein JAMS International Fellow was the experience of a lifetime," said former Fellow Gabriela Asmar, from Brazil. "Using what I learned as a Fellow, I have returned to Brazil and started Pro-Acordo, which will soon be the largest mediation firm in Brazil. The continuation of the Fellows Program is essential to the growth of ADR throughout the world."

"We are grateful to Judge Weinstein for his commitment to supporting the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program," said Jay Folberg, chair of the JAMS Foundation. "This donation enables the Foundation to continue advancing the use of ADR around the world and building sustainable relationships with the next generation of ADR leaders."

The donation is in keeping with Judge Weinstein's active philanthropic life, which includes
serving as chairman of 7 Tepees Youth Program, an organization he co-founded, as well as cofounding Making Peace our Business, a nonprofit international dispute resolution forum and the Danny Weinstein Youth Foundation, which provides financial resources to disadvantaged youth in the form of annual grants.

About the JAMS Foundation (www.jamsfoundation.org)
The nonprofit JAMS Foundation is the largest private provider of ADR-related grants in the world. The Foundation was established in 2002 by JAMS, The Resolution Experts, the premier provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide, and is funded by JAMS mediators, arbitrators and employee associates who contribute a percentage of their income. The JAMS Foundation has provided more than $5 million in grant funding since its inception. Founded in 1979, JAMS and its nearly 300 full-time mediators and arbitrators are responsible for resolving thousands of the world's most important cases. JAMS is online at www.jamsadr.com.