The Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution is hereby created. The council shall be comprised of individuals from a variety of disciplines who are trained and knowledgeable in mediation, restorative justice, and dispute resolution and selected to be representative of the geographical and cultural diversity of the state and to reflect gender fairness. The council shall consist of fifteen voting members. The membership shall include a district court judge, county court judge, and juvenile court judge and a representative from the Office of Probation Administration, the Nebraska State Bar Association, and the Nebraska County Attorneys Association. Nominations for the remaining members may be solicited from such entities and from the Nebraska Mediation Association, the Public Counsel, social workers, mental health professionals, diversion program administrators, educators, law enforcement entities, crime victim advocates, and former participants in restorative justice programs and related fields. The council shall be appointed by the Supreme Court or its designee. The Supreme Court or its designee shall not be restricted to the solicited list of nominees in making its appointments. Two nonvoting, ex officio members shall be appointed by the council from among the approved centers.
§ 25-2905.Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution; created; members.
Article 29: Dispute Resolution Act and Uniform Mediation Act · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 25-2905 creates the fifteen-member Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution, requires the Supreme Court or its designee to appoint members representing judicial, prosecutorial, probation, and bar perspectives alongside community and mediation nominees, and adds two nonvoting members drawn from approved centers.
Full Text of § 25-2905
Source
Laws 1991, LB 90, § 5; Laws 1999, LB 315, § 2; Laws 2019, LB595, § 5.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-2905 builds the council that advises the director on running the Dispute Resolution Act. It sets the council at fifteen voting members, chosen for training and knowledge in mediation, restorative justice, and dispute resolution, and selected with an eye toward the state’s geographic and cultural range and toward gender balance.
Certain seats are fixed by role: a district court judge, a county court judge, a juvenile court judge, and representatives from the Office of Probation Administration, the Nebraska State Bar Association, and the Nebraska County Attorneys Association. The remaining seats draw on nominations from a wide list of sources — the Nebraska Mediation Association, the Public Counsel, social workers, mental health professionals, diversion program administrators, educators, law enforcement, crime victim advocates, and people who have themselves gone through restorative justice programs. The Supreme Court or its designee makes the appointments and is not limited to whoever gets nominated.
The council also includes two nonvoting, ex officio members that the council itself appoints from among approved centers, giving the centers that carry out the actual mediation and restorative justice work a voice in the body that oversees them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many voting members does the Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution have?
Fifteen.
Which seats on the council are reserved for specific roles?
A district court judge, a county court judge, a juvenile court judge, and representatives from the Office of Probation Administration, the Nebraska State Bar Association, and the Nebraska County Attorneys Association.
Who nominates the remaining council members?
Nominations may come from the entities named above and from the Nebraska Mediation Association, the Public Counsel, social workers, mental health professionals, diversion program administrators, educators, law enforcement entities, crime victim advocates, and former restorative justice participants, among others.
Who appoints council members?
The Supreme Court or its designee, who is not restricted to the solicited list of nominees.
Do approved centers get any representation on the council?
Yes. Two nonvoting, ex officio members are appointed by the council from among approved centers.
Is the Supreme Court required to pick only from the nominated list?
No. The statute specifically states the Supreme Court or its designee is not restricted to the solicited list in making appointments.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution Nebraskacouncil membership section 25-2905who sits on Nebraska mediation councilfifteen member council mediationex officio approved center members