About
Jo Colbert Stanley
A Florida Supreme Court qualified arbitrator, and certified circuit civil and county mediator, Jo is an arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) consumer arbitration panel, a chair-qualified FINRA public arbitrator, a certified arbitrator on the International Yacht Arbitration Council roster, a registered mediator for Florida’s Department of Financial Services, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (from which she received a diploma in International Maritime Arbitration). Jo is proud to announce her selection as an Associate of the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA Associate, Class of 23-25).
Having completed her tenure as chair for FY24, Jo currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the Federal Bar Association’s (FBA) Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and is an officer on the board of the FBA’s Admiralty Law Section. She is in her third term as Chair of the Broward County Bar Association’s Admiralty/Maritime Law Section. She is also a member of The Florida Bar’s Admiralty Law Committee and Traffic Court Rules Committee.
Ever determined to expand her network, knowledge, and expertise in the maritime arena, Jo serves on the Broward County Marine Advisory Committee. She is also a proud member of the Women’s International Shipping And Trading Association (WISTA), co-Chair of the Yachting Committee. She is also an active member of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (SEALI), the Port Everglades Association, and the Fort Lauderdale Mariners Club. In 2025, Jo received the distinct and humbling honor of being elected to the Board of Directors of the Seafarers’ House at Port Everglades.
Always exploring new ways to contribute to her community and the legal profession, Jo is a published author, with articles in the Journal of Individual Employment Rights, M. Lee Smith’s Employment Law Letter, The Florida Bar ADR Section’s publication The Common Ground, and the International Yacht Broker Association’s Compass magazine. Jo is also a sought-after presenter and educator, regularly delivering dynamic, creative, and well-received training seminars worldwide and leading diverse panels on topics such as ADR, employment law, and maritime-related themes.
A proud Penn State grad (B.Sc. Criminal Justice – summa cum laude), Jo received her J.D. with high honors from Widener Law Commonwealth in Harrisburg, PA, and her LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Shepard Broad College of Law in Davie, FL. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis & Resolution at NSU’s renowned Halmos College of Arts & Sciences.
