Who We Are

Our Journey 

We trace our roots to 1975, when the fusion of common interests in the building and construction industry to better manage costly conflicts, along with the significant interest focused on informal dispute resolution starting from the 1960s and 70s, led to the founding of The Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Australia (IAMA) or The Institute of Arbitrators Australia (IAA) as they were initially called.

The subsequent interest in mediation-based approaches in the late 1970s saw the legal profession establish a specially constituted forum, Lawyers Engaged in Alternative Dispute Resolution (LEADR), in 1989 to develop and lobby for the use of mediation within the legal system.

LEADR Australia and LEADR New Zealand merged to form LEADR.

Resolution Institute was formed when IAMA and LEADR merged on 1 January 2015, to leverage the strengths of both organisations and to provide a unified voice to advocate for dispute resolution, and is today, an independent not for profit organisation with over 45 years of experience.

Following the merger, IAMA remains as an active public company (ABN 80 008 520 045, details here) with Resolution Institute appointed by the Board of IAMA to administer its operations. The Chair of Resolution Institute has been appointed to the positions of IAMA State Chair and national IAMA President, ensuring that the Chair of Resolution Institute can undertake nominations in instances where IAMA is noted as a nominating authority for dispute resolvers in existing dispute resolution clauses.

Today, we represent a vibrant community of dispute resolution professionals, with a strong and diverse membership that includes over 3000 mediators, conciliators, arbitrators, expert determiners, adjudicators, restorative justice practitioners and other dispute resolution professionals, considered to be among the most renowned experts in their field. Our luminaries, patrons and honorary life members are beacons of excellence in the history of dispute resolution.

Our portfolio of services

As the peak dispute resolution membership organisation in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, we offer extensive membership benefits and services, industry-leading training and accreditation, the best of online learning and continuing professional development options, as well as wide-ranging nominations services. We are a recognised mediator accreditation body in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. At the same time, we are an Authorised Nominating Authority (ANA) in all Australian states (except Queensland) for Security of Payment disputes. We advocate with authority on members’ behalf as a default nominating body for various industry schemes and the preferred dispute resolver written into contracts.

Our approach

Our rich heritage and deep traditions underpin our commitment to promote and foster the use of dispute resolution throughout the community, and to maintain the highest standards of professional practice and excellence in our members. As a not-for-profit organisation, our primary motivation is professional excellence, education, and member support; not profit.

It is a combination of these approaches that informs all we do and empowers us to achieve our vision of enabling meaningful access to justice and dispute resolution, effectively resolving conflict in any situation.

In the world of dispute resolution, we are more than just a membership organisation. We are a community.