Morris Receives Dispute Resolution Peace Award

Frank Laney (left) presented the Peace Award to Mark Morris during the luncheon at the Dispute Resolution Section Annual Meeting.

Mark Morris was honored Jan. 30 as the 2015 recipient of the Dispute Resolution Section Peace Award.

The award was presented at the section’s annual meeting and CLE at The Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst.

Morris is a law professor at the North Carolina Central University School of Law and director of its Dispute Resolution Institute. He has been involved as a leader in alternative dispute resolution for nearly two decades. In addition to being a mediator and arbitrator, Morris has been a speaker and trainer with the ABA Dispute Resolution Section, N.C. Office of State Personnel, Carolina Dispute Settlement Services and the N.C. League of Municipalities.

Morris was appointed by Governor Mike Easley to serve on the Dispute Resolution Commission and was an active participant in the 8.3 debates about when and if a mediator should report attorney misconduct to the state bar. He helped craft the final resolution of that issue.

The Dispute Resolution Section Peace Award honors a person who has made a special contribution or commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including but not limited to the following: (a) Development of new or innovative programs; (b) Demonstrated improvements in service; (c) Demonstrated improvements in efficiency; (d) Research and writings in the area of dispute resolution; (e) Development of continuing education programs; (f) Leadership with local, state and national boards and legislative bodies.

Past recipients of the Dispute Resolution Peace Award are Carmon Stuart (2002); Scott Bradley (2003); Frank Laney (2004); Jacqueline Clare (2005); J. Anderson Little (2006); Ralph Walker (2007); Charlotte Adams , Beth Okum and Tan Schwab (2008); Chief Justice James G. Exum (2009); Judge James Long (2010); John Schaefer (2011); Judge Jim Gates (2012); George Walker (2013) and Ann Anderson (2014).