The American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution® (AAA-ICDR®), the global leader in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services, announces the appointment of Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Justice McCormack will assume these positions effective February 2023, with current President and CEO India Johnson remaining in these roles until then to ensure a smooth transition.
As President and CEO, Justice McCormack will spearhead and lead the AAA-ICDR’s strategic vision and operations, ensuring that it continues to be the world’s pre-eminent ADR provider.
“We undertook an extensive and thorough search to find a leader who is not only an expert in the legal field, but who also possesses outstanding business acumen and shares our dedication to enhancing the alternative dispute resolution process and expanding access to it.” - Kimberly Wiehl, Chair of the AAA-ICDR’s Board of Directors.
Justice McCormack is joining the AAA-ICDR from the Michigan Supreme Court, where she has served as Chief Justice, overseeing the state’s judicial system encompassing 244 courts and 560 judges. She has taught as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School for many years, and is currently a Strategic Advisor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Future of the Profession Initiative. She is also a member of the boards of directors of Kids Kicking Cancer, the National Association of Treatment Court Professionals, and the Conference of Chief Justices. Justice McCormack also holds various positions on the American Bar Association (ABA), including Board of Elections Chair, and memberships on the board of the Center for Innovation Governing Council as well as the Litigation journal board of editors. She is the Vice-Chair of the ABA’s Council on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar.
“I am honored to join the AAA-ICDR team and to serve those who rely on its many services and contributions,“ said Justice McCormack. “I very much look forward to working to advance AAA-ICDR’s critical mission and expand its reach. At a time when so much is changing in the legal profession, the AAA-IDCR’s mission and vision are more important than ever.”
Justice McCormack is a graduate of New York University Law School, where she received a juris doctorate degree. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in Hartford, CT with honors in political science and philosophy.