He introduced the first speaker, Attorney General Janet Reno. The Attorney General welcomed the attendees and noted everyone was gathered in response to calls from the President and Congress to create more dispute resolution programs in federal agencies. She stated that, while disputes are inevitable, our responsibility as public servants is to be problem solvers first. Our goal is to find less contentious, more consensual ways of resolving disputes. The Attorney General stated that even when the government prevails in litigation, we do not always win.
Litigation can be costly, time-consuming, and corrosive to all of the participants.
It can rob us of the time and resources we need to do the people's business. In contrast, consensual means of dispute resolution allow the participants to retain control over the outcome of the conflict. They encourage creative thinking. The allow people to solve problems with a maximum amount of respect and a minimum amount of adversity. She thanked the people who had agreed to lead Sections of the Working Group in the future.