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Thinking Of Mediation As A Complex Adaptive System, J.B. Ruhl
Thinking Of Mediation As A Complex Adaptive System, J.B. Ruhl
Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications
This article uses my work on complex adaptive systems to think about how litigation and mediation differ in terms of adaptive qualities, suggesting that mediation is indeed a more adaptive mode of dispute resolution in certain contexts.
Psychology, Economics, And Settlement: A New Look At The Role Of The Lawyer, Chris Guthrie, Russell Korobkin
Psychology, Economics, And Settlement: A New Look At The Role Of The Lawyer, Chris Guthrie, Russell Korobkin
Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications
Law and economics models of litigation settlement, based on the behavioral assumptions of rational choice theory, ignore the many psychological reasons that settlement negotiations can fail, yet they accurately predict that vast majority of lawsuits will settle short of formal adjudication. What explains this? We present experimental data that suggests lawyers might evaluate the settlement vs. adjudication decision from a perspective more closely akin to "rational choice theory" than will non-lawyers and, consequently, increase the observed level of settlement. We then evaluate whether the hypothesized difference between lawyers and non-lawyers is likely to lead to more efficient dispute resolution, concluding …