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Returning To The Circle: The Reemergence Of Traditional Dispute Resolution In Native American Communities, Jessica Metoui Jul 2007

Returning To The Circle: The Reemergence Of Traditional Dispute Resolution In Native American Communities, Jessica Metoui

Journal of Dispute Resolution

An examination of Native American cultural definitions of justice illustrates the cultural relevance of traditional dispute resolution processes. Because these alternative processes focus largely on community inclusion and the importance of party healing after a crime, concepts central to Native American worldview, traditional dispute resolution is superior to the mainstream adversarial court system for handling many criminal matters in the Native American context. The successes of traditional dispute resolution processes in Native American communities are also evidence of the potential cross cultural applications of such processes within the mainstream criminal justice system


Mediation, Improvisations, And All That Jazz, John W. Cooley Jul 2007

Mediation, Improvisations, And All That Jazz, John W. Cooley

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In the present article, we will be exploring the subject of improvisation generally from the perspective of mediation and jazz as performance arts; the roles of the jazz musician, the mediator, and the mediation advocate as creative problem solvers; the elements of jazz in mediation; and the collective conversation in jazz as compared with the collective conversation in mediation.


Community Lawyering In The Juvenile Cellblock: Creative Uses Of Legal Problems Solving To Reconcile Competing Narratives On Prosecutorial Abuse, Juvenile Criminality, And Public Safety, David Dominguez Jul 2007

Community Lawyering In The Juvenile Cellblock: Creative Uses Of Legal Problems Solving To Reconcile Competing Narratives On Prosecutorial Abuse, Juvenile Criminality, And Public Safety, David Dominguez

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The power imbalance in juvenile legal proceedings is so lopsided that children and families are routinely overpowered and intimidated by administratively convenient processes and outcomes. I fully understand (and at times envy) the zealous legal advocate who champions his young client's cause and "makes the system pay." But I have found over my years of Community Lawyering that zealous advocacy can become so critical of institutional error that it bums problem solving relationships and destroys the chance to negotiate for mutual gain and structural reform. Zealous advocacy can win at the detention hearing and force the juvenile justice system to …


State Legislative Update, J. Matthew Belz, Caleb Lewis, Remington Smith, Peter Wilder Jul 2007

State Legislative Update, J. Matthew Belz, Caleb Lewis, Remington Smith, Peter Wilder

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Collaborative law is a relatively new dispute resolution method by which parties mutually agree to negotiate a settlement in good faith. Either party may terminate the collaborative process at will and present the matter to a court for a decision. Upon termination of the collaborative process, both attorneys must withdraw and cease all participation in the case. The continuing saturation of court dockets and the expense of litigation require the promotion of viable, alternative means to resolve disputes. Collaborative law as authorized under Texas Senate Bill 942 is an especially attractive process because it demands cooperation between the disputing parties …


Beyond Let Them Eat Cake: An Argument For The Armendariz Method Of Cost Allocation In Mandatory Employment And Consumer Arbitration, Dan O'Hearn Jul 2007

Beyond Let Them Eat Cake: An Argument For The Armendariz Method Of Cost Allocation In Mandatory Employment And Consumer Arbitration, Dan O'Hearn

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Jane Doe is a twenty-two year old young woman who recently has been experiencing problems at work. About two years ago, Jane took a job at a local fast food establishment, Bubba's, which is a subsidiary of a larger corporation. The job has provided barely enough income for Jane to support herself and her two year old daughter while she has been earning an associate teaching degree at the local junior college. Jane planned to continue working at Bubba's while finishing her degree, but the recent behavior of her supervisor has made her question whether she will be able to …


Sacrificing Settlement Agreements In The Name Of Mediation Confidentiality: The California Supreme Court's Narrow Holding Has Harsh Consequence, Laura J. Bettenhausen Jul 2007

Sacrificing Settlement Agreements In The Name Of Mediation Confidentiality: The California Supreme Court's Narrow Holding Has Harsh Consequence, Laura J. Bettenhausen

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Confidentiality is regarded as one of the primary benefits of mediation. For parties who wish to avoid the public eye, mediation is often preferable to court. However, when parties reach some form of a settlement agreement during mediation, and subsequently disagree as to the terms of that agreement, the parties may find themselves in court. In court, the issue of whether the settlement agreement is admissible arises. In Fair v. Bakhtiari, the California Supreme Court addressed the question of whether an arbitration provision listed in a settlement agreement renders the agreement admissible under the California Evidence Code. The court emphasized …


Arbitration By Accident: The Consequence Of Unintentionally Meeting The Clear And Unmistakable Evidence Standard, Mark A. Mulchek Jul 2007

Arbitration By Accident: The Consequence Of Unintentionally Meeting The Clear And Unmistakable Evidence Standard, Mark A. Mulchek

Journal of Dispute Resolution

A fundamental principle of arbitration law is that parties may only be compelled to submit an issue to arbitration if they agreed to do so. The question of when an arbitrator, instead of a district court, can decide the arbitrability of an issue has been taken up by the courts in recent years. In First Options of Chicago, Inc. v. Kaplan, the Supreme Court stated that an arbitrator may decide questions of arbitrability only when the parties have "clearly and unmistakably" agreed to defer such questions to an arbitrator. Since First Options, the lower courts have attempted to define when …


Only The Rich Can Afford A Remedy: The Unconscionable Enforcement Of Arbitration Provisions Against The Indigent, Ryan M. Turley Jul 2007

Only The Rich Can Afford A Remedy: The Unconscionable Enforcement Of Arbitration Provisions Against The Indigent, Ryan M. Turley

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In Overstreet v. Contigroup Cos., Inc.,2 the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that neither economic disadvantage nor undisclosed arbitration fees may form the basis for striking down an arbitration provision on the grounds of unconscionability.3 While the Supreme Court and the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) expressly authorize the use of the doctrine of unconscionability to invalidate arbitration provisions, courts are sharply divided on its proper application. 4 The difficult juxtaposition of the Supreme Court's interpretation of the FAA as a "liberal federal policy favoring arbitration" and the traditional application of unconscionability as a means of policing unfair contracts has …


Application Of Due Process To Arbitration Awards Of Punitive Damages - Where Is The State Action, The, Charles Smith Jul 2007

Application Of Due Process To Arbitration Awards Of Punitive Damages - Where Is The State Action, The, Charles Smith

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This article will analyze why the position of the courts-no state action-is correct. Specifically, this article will take the position that the policy of finality traditionally found in arbitration law must trump any constitutional inquiries. This is because arbitration is ultimately based on the parties' agreement, which inevitably recites that the arbitrator's decision shall be final and, in any event, this finality is generally implied.


Mediator As Cook: Mediation Metaphors At The Movies, The, Jennifer L. Schulz Jul 2007

Mediator As Cook: Mediation Metaphors At The Movies, The, Jennifer L. Schulz

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In this article I will explore the vitality of the metaphor of the mediator as cook by tracing it through other food and conflict resolution related films. In so doing, I hope to achieve two things: first, to continue to insist that non-adversarial processes like mediation be included in the study of Law & Film, and second, to show that the metaphor suggested for mediators based on one film, resonates in other films and suggests new insights about mediator style and practice. Through a Law & Film analysis of two films, Soul Food and Mostly Martha, I will argue that …


Low-Value &(And) Predictably Small: When Should Class-Arbitration Waivers Be Invalidated As Unconscionable, Christopher B. Mckinney Jul 2007

Low-Value &(And) Predictably Small: When Should Class-Arbitration Waivers Be Invalidated As Unconscionable, Christopher B. Mckinney

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In Muhammad v. County Bank of Rehoboth Beach, the New Jersey Supreme Court chose the interests of consumers over liberally construed Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) policies in deciding that a no class-arbitration provision contained within a payday loan contract was unconscionable. The court used state law contract principles to invalidate the clause, finding that the clause violated several state public policies. Particularly important to the court was the fact that individual claims for damages would be nominal, and thus individual vindication of statutory rights would prove too costly to be practical. In making this distinction, the court suggested a preference …


Court-Connected Arbitration In The Superior Court Of Arizona: A Study Of Its Performance And Proposed Rule Changes, Roselle L. Wissler, Bob Dauber Jan 2007

Court-Connected Arbitration In The Superior Court Of Arizona: A Study Of Its Performance And Proposed Rule Changes, Roselle L. Wissler, Bob Dauber

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Compulsory, non-binding arbitration has been a component of the civil court system in a number of jurisdictions for several decades. These arbitration programs generally have the same basic structure: cases in which the amount in controversy is under the prescribed jurisdictional limit must be submitted to a neutral attorney for adjudication under relaxed rules of evidence and procedure. Any party may appeal the arbitrator's award for a trial de novo; absent an appeal, the arbitrator's decision is entered as the judgment of record in the case. The goals of most court-connected arbitration programs include resolving cases faster, reducing the costs …


Public Relations Perspective To Manage Conflict In A Public Health Crisis, A, Qi Qiu, Glen T. Cameron Jan 2007

Public Relations Perspective To Manage Conflict In A Public Health Crisis, A, Qi Qiu, Glen T. Cameron

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The present study particularly focuses on the SARS outbreak in China because it was a major battlefield against the disease that largely affected the fate of the worldwide SARS crisis. Framing analysis of media coverage of the SARS epidemic and organization information from the WHO is used to dissect specific conflicts and strategies involved in China's SARS crisis. The discussion finishes with a checklist for planning strategic communication and conflict management during public health crises.


Wanted: Leaders, Journalists, Scholars, And Citizens With The Right Stuff: A Reflection On Conflict, Journalism, And Democracy, Edmund B. Lambeth Jan 2007

Wanted: Leaders, Journalists, Scholars, And Citizens With The Right Stuff: A Reflection On Conflict, Journalism, And Democracy, Edmund B. Lambeth

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The purpose of this article is to describe, frame, and place the new initiative in the larger context of what can be done when professions and the institutions they inhabit and serve encounter internal stress and/or external conflict.


Faa And The Userra: Pro-Arbitration Policies Can Undermine Federal Protection Of Military Personnel, Laura Bettenhausen Jan 2007

Faa And The Userra: Pro-Arbitration Policies Can Undermine Federal Protection Of Military Personnel, Laura Bettenhausen

Journal of Dispute Resolution

According to the United States Supreme Court, statutory claims may be the subject of an arbitration agreement contained in an individual employment contract. In Garrett v. Circuit City Stores, Inc., the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit analyzed whether claims brought under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) are subject to arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The applicability of the FAA to employment contracts is an integral part of the analysis in this case. To determine whether arbitration is an appropriate forum for the plaintiff's claim, discussion of both the structure and …


Resisting Equal Footing: Did The Wisconsin Supreme Court Disguise An Assault On Arbitration, Peter Wilder Jan 2007

Resisting Equal Footing: Did The Wisconsin Supreme Court Disguise An Assault On Arbitration, Peter Wilder

Journal of Dispute Resolution

It is well settled that state courts may apply state contract principles when determining if an arbitration clause is enforceable; however, states are prohibited from enforcing laws that treat arbitration agreements differently than other contracts. Placing arbitration agreements on an equal footing with other contracts results from judicial preference for arbitration. When a court overreaches to find an arbitration agreement to be procedurally and substantively unconscionable, the overreaching may stem from the court's erroneous preference for adjudication over arbitration. The issue becomes more apparent when the court had the option to enforce the agreement without the unconscionable provision, yet chose …


Table Of Contents - Issue 1 Jan 2007

Table Of Contents - Issue 1

Journal of Dispute Resolution

No abstract provided.


Conflict Resolution And Systemic Change, Susan Sturm, Howard Gadlin Jan 2007

Conflict Resolution And Systemic Change, Susan Sturm, Howard Gadlin

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This article suggests that the view of public norm elaboration and accountability underlying the critique of ADR is too narrow and needs to be rethought. Public norms do not consist only of the precedents developed and applied by courts or other adjudicative bodies. They also emerge when relevant institutional actors develop values or remedies through an accountable process of principled and participatory decision making, and then adapt these values and remedies to broader groups or situations. ADR can play a significant role in developing legitimate and effective solutions to common problems and, in the process, produce generalizable norms


Following The Script: An Empirical Analysis Of Court-Ordered Mediation Of Medical Malpractice Cases, Ralph Peeples, Catherine Harris, Thomas Metzloff Jan 2007

Following The Script: An Empirical Analysis Of Court-Ordered Mediation Of Medical Malpractice Cases, Ralph Peeples, Catherine Harris, Thomas Metzloff

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Court-ordered mediation of civil cases has become an accepted part of the litigation process in a number of states and in some federal courts.' The widespread growth of court-ordered mediation is not difficult to explain. First of all, the process appears to produce settlements, although because most cases settle anyway, it is difficult to say that court-ordered mediation reduces trial rates. It does, however, at least provide a structured opportunity for settlement discussions, if the parties are so inclined. Second, court-ordered mediation is a process usually paid for by the parties themselves. From the courts' perspective, it is not a …


When Lawyers Move Their Lips: Attorney Truthfulness In Mediation And A Modest Proposal, Don Peters Jan 2007

When Lawyers Move Their Lips: Attorney Truthfulness In Mediation And A Modest Proposal, Don Peters

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This article examines whether the punch line that you can tell when lawyers are lying by confirming that their lips are moving applies to their conduct when negotiating in mediations. General surveys of lawyer honesty suggest that this perception probably does apply to the way lawyers negotiate in mediations. Only 20% of people surveyed in a 1993 American Bar Association poll described the legal profession as honest, and that number fell to 14% in a 1998 Gallup poll.' A more recent poll revealed that one-third of the American public believes that lawyers are less truthful than most people.


Beyond The Assumptions: News Reporting And Its Impact On Conflict, Richard C. Reuben Jan 2007

Beyond The Assumptions: News Reporting And Its Impact On Conflict, Richard C. Reuben

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This symposium seeks to bridge this important gap in our social understanding of conflict by stimulating a sustained discussion among scholars about its contours. The task is important and timely, worthy of effort on both the media and the conflict sides of the equation.


Social Conflict: Some Basic Principles, Dean G. Pruitt Jan 2007

Social Conflict: Some Basic Principles, Dean G. Pruitt

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The term "conflict" has two generally accepted meanings.' The first refers to overt conflict-an argument, fight, or struggle. The second refers to subjective conflict-Party's perception that Party and Other have opposing beliefs or interests, or that Other has deprived or annoyed Party in some way. The latter concept is richer for theory building than the former, in that there are several strategies Party can employ in reaction to subjective conflict. Party can take a contentious approach and retaliate, or Party can try to impose its will on Other by means of an argument, demand, or threat. This strategy is very …


News Coverage And Social Protest: How The Media's Protect Paradigm Exacerbates Social Conflict, Douglas M. Mcleod Jan 2007

News Coverage And Social Protest: How The Media's Protect Paradigm Exacerbates Social Conflict, Douglas M. Mcleod

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Past research on media coverage of social protests has yielded evidence of a protest paradigm: a set of news coverage patterns that typifies mainstream media coverage. This coverage generally disparages protesters and hinders their role as vital actors on the political stage. The lack of respect for the value of social protest inherent in such coverage has created frustration among the protesters, which has in turn contributed to dysfunctional confrontations. However, under certain conditions, journalists will deviate from the protest paradigm. Such aberrations were found in the Los Angeles Times' coverage of the May 1, 2006, "Day without Immigrants" demonstrations. …


Communication Channels, Spatial Stereotyping, And Urban Conflict: A Cross-Scale And Spatio-Temporal Perspective, Sorin A. Matei, Sandra Ball-Rokeach, Stefan Ungurean Jan 2007

Communication Channels, Spatial Stereotyping, And Urban Conflict: A Cross-Scale And Spatio-Temporal Perspective, Sorin A. Matei, Sandra Ball-Rokeach, Stefan Ungurean

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Our research addresses how individuals exposed to various types of communication situations-from face-to-face to Internet environments-are more or less likely to react to urban locations with fear or to find them desirable. The present article summarizes what we have learned from a number of research projects about the effects of communication practices on spatial and ethnic stereotyping in conditions of violent urban conflict and will offer a number of recommendations for mitigating the negative effects of these processes.


Media, Memory, And Forgiveness: Case Studies In South Africa And Argentina's Conflict Resolution Processes, Byron T. Scott, Caroline Escudero, Anya Litvak Jan 2007

Media, Memory, And Forgiveness: Case Studies In South Africa And Argentina's Conflict Resolution Processes, Byron T. Scott, Caroline Escudero, Anya Litvak

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Studies of conflict frames' customarily include neither mid- to long-term resolution nor the role of the media in that healing process. In theory, the formal reconciliation processes that have followed internal conflicts in many nations provide resolution and a pathway to long-term healing. But do they? As the chief cultural guardians of national memories, what is the role of the media? Between the spikes of crisis reporting, are there persistent frames of journalistic messages that affect how ever-receding events are viewed by new generations? This paper looks at media behavior in two contrasting nations, Argentina and South Africa, while arguing …


Eleven Bid Ideas About Conflict: A Superficial Guide For The Thoughtful Journalist, Leonard L. Riskin Jan 2007

Eleven Bid Ideas About Conflict: A Superficial Guide For The Thoughtful Journalist, Leonard L. Riskin

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In case you are wondering how something like this could possibly be reported in a local newspaper, I can tell you two reasons: First, the story takes place in Columbia, Missouri, a small town with a big journalism school and two daily newspapers; these factors combine to produce hordes of desperate reporters and reporting students.' Second, as I show below, if the reporter has sophisticated vision, this case has the potential to provide a good deal of valuable material.


Media And International Conflict: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Eytan Gilboa Jan 2007

Media And International Conflict: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Eytan Gilboa

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This study suggests a new framework for analysis of media coverage and its role in international conflict. The framework is based on integration of theories and models from both international studies and communication. The work begins with a brief analysis of major changes that have occurred in last two decades in the nature and evolution of international conflicts. The analysis offers significant distinctions among types, levels, and phases of conflict. Next, the study presents major changes that have occurred in the media and offers significant distinctions among levels, types, and functions of media. Based on all these concepts and ideas, …


Little Fish In A Big Sea: Should Consumer Protection Statutes Override Class Arbitration Waivers, A, Thomas Wilmowski Jan 2007

Little Fish In A Big Sea: Should Consumer Protection Statutes Override Class Arbitration Waivers, A, Thomas Wilmowski

Journal of Dispute Resolution

As arbitration agreements have become increasingly commonplace in dealings between large companies and their subscribers, courts have taken a strong interest in protecting consumer rights. As part of this protection, courts have to apply federal statutes, protecting the right to treble damages and recovery of attorney's fees in the context of mass arbitration agreements. The difficulty comes in attempting to allow companies to exercise their freedom of contract while protecting consumers with little bargaining power. Although other courts have largely favored arbitration, and upheld its applicability, a clash remains between consumer protection statutes and the waiver of those statutory rights …


Let's Get Together: An Analysis Of The Applicability Of The Rules Of Professional Conduct To Collaborative Law, Brian Roberson Jan 2007

Let's Get Together: An Analysis Of The Applicability Of The Rules Of Professional Conduct To Collaborative Law, Brian Roberson

Journal of Dispute Resolution

It is the purpose of this comment to explore some of the major areas in which the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and a typical collaborative law arrangement may intersect, and to discuss the differences of opinion among the few state ethics committees that have commented on collaborative law. A deeper understanding of the relationship between the collaborative lawyer, the legal system, and society at large should help to foster greater awareness of the duties and responsibilities inherent in lawyer-client relationships created under the collaborative rubric.


Too Many Motions For Vacatur Of Commercial Arbitration Awards - The Eleventh Circuit Sanctions Unwary Litigants, Christopher Mckinney Jan 2007

Too Many Motions For Vacatur Of Commercial Arbitration Awards - The Eleventh Circuit Sanctions Unwary Litigants, Christopher Mckinney

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In B.L. Harbert Int'l. v. Hercules Steel Co., the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals seemed angered by what they deemed to be another frivolous appeal of a commercial arbitration award. Upon this provocation, the court warned litigants that future baseless appeals would be met with sanctions. By making sanctions a real threat, the court has attempted to promote some goals of arbitration, including finality, but any benefits derived may be offset by the increased confusion the holding has created. Further, the court's mandate represents a divergence from Eleventh Circuit precedent, as past decisions indicated a willingness to hear new arguments …