About Amy Wind
Since 1994, Amy Wind has worked full-time as mediator, arbitrator, educator, trainer and dispute prevention specialist.
Mediation
Amy Wind has mediated hundreds of matters, including complex federal cases at both the trial and appellate levels; class actions and multi-party matters; statutory and regulatory challenges; divorces and custody disputes; criminal and juvenile cases; internal workplace disputes; and community disputes. She mediates in both English and Spanish.
For nearly 15 years (1994-2008), she operated a private mediation practice emphasizing employment, equal opportunity and public policy issues. Cases included numerous employment and business disputes, as well as constitutional, environmental, financial and family matters.
From 2008 through 2017, she served as Chief Circuit Mediator for the United States Courts of the D.C. Circuit, where she was responsible for the mediation programs of the U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Columbia. As head of those Courts’ mediation programs, she supervised and mentored approximately 100 volunteer attorney-mediators, managed the programs’ administration and events, and personally mediated selected matters.
During 1998-99, Ms. Wind engaged in public policy mediation as Director of Search for Common Ground on Race, a domestic project of the internationally-known conflict resolution organization, Search for Common Ground. Her project focused on facilitating agreements between liberal and conservative organizations to engage in joint efforts related to race relations and affirmative action.
Arbitration
Amy Wind arbitrated complaints for the National Association of Securities Dealers (1996-1999) and the D.C. Office of Citizen Complaint Review, Metropolitan Police Department (2003-2007), as well as private sector employment disputes (2002, 2005).
Workplace Consulting
In the conflict prevention aspect of her work, Amy Wind has been retained by employers to investigate concerns, and make recommendations where appropriate, regarding systemic racial and gender discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. Sample clients: Arlington County (Virginia) Fire Department, National Public Radio, Special Master in Bessye Neal v. DC Department of Corrections.
She has been hired to train lawyers and non-lawyers in mediation techniques, substantive discrimination law, ethics, and cultural competence in the workplace. Sample clients: Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Federal Judicial Center, U.S. Department of the Air Force.
Litigation
From 1983 to 1994, Amy Wind was a trial lawyer (partner, 1989-94) with KATOR, SCOTT & HELLER, a Washington, D.C. firm specializing in employment law. She handled all aspects of litigation, including federal and state court trials, appeals, administrative hearings and negotiation of settlements. She was also the partner responsible for supervising associate lawyers and support staff.
Teaching and Training
Amy Wind has co-taught Social Intelligence for Lawyers (2016-21) and Negotiations (2022) at Georgetown University Law Center as an adjunct professor of law. For nearly a decade (2000-2010), she taught Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution at George Washington University Law School, also as an adjunct law professor.
Amy Wind is fluent in Spanish and has designed and presented formal, skills-based mediation courses (24 and 40 hours) in English and Spanish (2001-2008, 2018-2019). She also has trained high school students on diversity and multi-culturalism (2005-2008).
She has made numerous presentations on mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution at conferences. Sample topics: Strategies for Dealing with High Conflict People in Mediation; Applying Narrative Mediation Principles to Court Mediations; Increasing the Chances for Creativity in Mediations.
Education
- U.C. Hastings College of Law, J.D. 1980 (Executive Research Editor, Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal)
- Scripps College, B.A. 1977 (Phi Beta Kappa, Student Body President)
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of California, 1981
- District of Columbia Bar, 1983