Law Commons^™

Time To Try Mediation Of International Commercial Disputes, Harold Abramson

Harold I. Abramson

No abstract provided.

Bargaining In The Shadow Of The Best-Interests Standard: The Close Connection Between Substance And Process In Resolving Divorce-Related Parenting Disputes, Jana B. Singer

Jana B. Singer

This essay, written for a Symposium celebrating the child custody scholarship of Professor Robert Mnookin, examines the close connection between changes in substantive child custody doctrine and changes in custody dispute resolution processes over the past 30 years. Part I of the article explores how the widespread adoption of an unmediated “best interest of the child” standard, and the ensuing rejection of the sole custody paradigm, precipitated a shift from adversarial to non-adversarial resolution of divorce-related parenting disputes. Part II of the essay reverses the direction of the analytic lens and considers how the shift from adversarial to non-adversarial dispute …

Resolving Workplace Disputes In The United States: The Growth Of Alternative Dispute Resolution In Employment Relations, David B. Lipsky, Ronald L. Seeber

David B Lipsky

[Excerpt] For more than a decade a "quiet revolution" has been occurring m the American system of justice. There has been a dramatic growth in the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to resolve disputes that might otherwise be handled through litigation. We define ADR as the use of any form of mediation or arbitration as a substitute for the public judicial or administrative process available to resolve a dispute (Lipsky and Seeber, 1998A}. In the United States mediation, arbitration, and their variants ordinarily are private processes in which the disputants themselves select, hire, and pay the third-party neutral who …

The Curious Case Of Transformative Dispute Resolution: An Unfortunate Marriage Of Intransigence, Exclusivity, And Hype, Robert J. Condlin

Robert J. Condlin

Why do proponents of Transformative Dispute Resolution (TDR) defend the Theory in such intransigent, exclusivist, and grandiose terms? TDR is a mature theory, and a relatively sophisticated one, and qualities of this sort usually go hand in hand with a balanced, refined, and well-modulated sense of self. But TDR proponents will have none of that. They make ambitious (some would say outlandish) assertions about the Theory’s capacity to develop moral and political character, reform deliberative government, and resolve ethno-political conflict, while simultaneously rejecting overtures from sympathetic outsiders to rein in the overstated aspects of these claims and craft a more …

Mediating Commitments, Ian Macduff

Ian Macduff

This paper explores the implications of one aspect of intercultural theory –the dimension of power distance– in order to comment on the nature of commitments in the mediation process. The familiar model of Western ediation assumes that parties can identify core interests and negotiate around those, through prioritising, trading and balancing. At the heart of our thinking about commitments are our ideas about agency, autonomy, and accountability. However, a core implication of empirical work on power distance suggests that expectations of deference may lead some participants to avoid direct decision-making responsibility and, rather than work towards commitments, to act on …

The Alternative Forms Of Dispute Settlement And The Essential Difference Between These And Arbitration, Michael Diathesopoulos

Michael Diathesopoulos

The paper examines the characteristics of some common alternative forms of dispute settlement and their key differences from arbitration regarding their nature and scope. Its purpose is to explore each mechanism's suitability for specific types of disputes.

Making Peace And Making Money: Economic Analysis Of The Market For Mediators In Private Practice, Urska Velikonja

Urska Velikonja

Mediation has grown tremendously in the last three decades, yet only a small number of mediators have been able to benefit financially from its growth. The supply of willing mediators by far exceeds the demand for their services. Mediator trainee overoptimism and the lack of formal barriers to entry result in excess entry in the market for mediators. However, the lack of a formal barrier, but the existence of de facto barriers to entry, such as mediator selection practices and specialization, combined with excessive individual optimism, creates inefficiently high levels of entry. This is socially suboptimal: many aspirant mediators spend …

Timing Settlement, Curtis E.A. Karnow

Curtis E.A. Karnow

A review of empirical and theoretical research pertaining to the effective timing of settlement conferences, and the factors affecting success at settlement.

Problem-Solving Advocacy In Mediations: A Model Of Client Representation, Harold Abramson

Harold I. Abramson

No abstract provided.

Selecting Mediators And Representing Clients In Cross-Cultural Disputes, Harold Abramson

Harold I. Abramson

This article was originally published as Selecting Mediators and Representing Clients in Cross-Cultural Disputes, 7 CARDOZO J. CONFLICT RESOL. 253 (2006).

Crossing Borders Into New Ethical Territory: Ethical Challenges When Mediating Cross-Culturally, Harold Abramson

Harold I. Abramson

No abstract provided.

Selecting Mediators And Representing Clients In Cross-Cultural Disputes, Harold Abramson

Harold I. Abramson

This article was originally published as Selecting Mediators and Representing Clients in Cross-Cultural Disputes, 7 CARDOZO J. CONFLICT RESOL. 253 (2006).

Problem-Solving Advocacy In Mediations: A Model Of Client Representation, Harold Abramson

Harold I. Abramson

No abstract provided.

Mediation Workshop: Basic Course Materials, Laurence Boulle, John Wade

John Wade

No abstract provided.

Five Things I Learnt This Year (And Should Have Known Already), Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp reflects on 2008 and the lessons learnt as a jobbing mediator

Rehearsing In Poetry, But Practising In Prose - The Anatomy Of A Manly Mediation, Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

As arranged, the cast gathered at 9.30am for yesterday's production in the sort of law offices where, if you want a coffee, you need to say whether it's a latte, macchiato, cappuccino or espresso with soy/trim/creamer...

40 Sites In 40 Minutes, Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

The best of free mediation resources on the world wide web

I Know It's Not My Problem... But It Happened On My Watch, Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

It is at some risk that I set out to promote my expertise in the area of what to do when mediation ends in disagreement.

Nevertheless, I dread those times when the smell of napalm hangs in the air as the parties depart the room with their final exchanges of the ‘see you in court’ variety ringing in my ears.

To assist my investigation of what we do as mediators when destination Yes eludes us, I polled a number of experienced commercial mediators. I am indebted to my friends from Bond University in Queensland, Australia and colleagues from the International …

Desert Island Questions For Mediators, Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

When I was a wee lad, I drove others nuts by asking questions. They were, I am told, good open ones usually starting ".... but, why?"

As time passed, I grew into a know-it-all teen and forgot about asking questions, more intent on doing the telling. Now at age 40 and in my role as a commercial mediator, I seem to have come full circle and once again appreciate the value of the well-timed, well-constructed question aimed at the essence of a discussion.

So what are my all-time favourites? What questions do I ask that make people sit back in …

The Legal Scholarship Of Blogs, Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

If you’ve ever felt the need to share your opinions with the world, then blogs just may provide you with the global audience you’ve been longing for. Geoff Sharp surfs the wave of the future and finds out the skinny on blawging.

Where Angels Fear To Tread, Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

The Tricky Matter of How a Commercial Mediator Shows Respect for the Attorney/Client Relationship...

Those of us who were lawyers in a previous life and are now mediators, or those of us who dabble in both worlds, will know that there is a sensitivity surrounding the whole question of the mediator and the attorney / client relationship. This tension is largely unspoken but it is nevertheless an anxiety for most attorneys as they head into a mediation session.

In Praise Of Joint Sessions, Geoff Sharp

Geoff Sharp

This paper deals with the increasing trend amongst mediators to do away with a joint session (where the parties meet face-to-face) at mediation in favour of meeting with the parties privately and adopting a shuttle mediation model.

This is an especially topical debate amongst mediators with some advocating that a purely private session or caucus model of mediation where the parties never meet saves time and is what the market now requires. This compares with other mediators resisting the demise of the joint session, saying it is at the heart of what mediators do and of what mediation is.

For …

Duelling Experts In Mediation And Negotiation: How To Respond When Eager Expensive Entrenched Expert Egos Escalate Enmity, John Wade

John Wade

Having dueling experts is a predictable problem for negotiators and mediators. A routine process in response is set out: normalizing, reframing, and turning the barrier into a standard problem-solving question. Twelve standard responses (each with inevitable advantages and disadvantages) are systematized for mediators and negotiators to learn and possibly add value to any negotiation.

Liability Of Mediators For Pressure, Drafting And Advice, John Wade

John Wade

Complex tensions that can occur during negotiations and decision-making are illustrated in the Supreme Court of Victoria decision in the case of Taphoohi v Lewenberg. Cases such as this place judges in the position of making decisions about 'proper mediator behaviour' and of making major policy decisions about professional diversity and standards.

Confidentiality's Constitutionality: The Incursion On Judicial Powers To Regulate Parties In Court-Connected Mediation, Maureen A. Weston Prof.

Maureen A Weston

This Article explores the interplay between mediation confidentiality legislation and judicial powers to regulate participant conduct in the pretrial process. Part II describes the role of the court in monitoring parties' conduct in distinct settlement-related processes, such as private settlement negotiations, judicial settlement conferences, court-connected arbitration, and court-connected mediation, as well as the corresponding but varied confidentiality protection accorded these processes. Part III examines judicial decisions analyzing the tension between mediation confidentiality and judicial power to monitor and sanction misconduct in a settlement or court-connected mediation setting, specifically comparing the approach used by the California Supreme Court in Foxgate Homeowners’ …

Using Dispute System Design Methods To Promote Good-Faith Participation In Court-Connected Mediation Programs, John Lande

John Lande

This Article discusses what can be done to promote productive behavior in mediation and reduce bad conduct. Although most participants do not abuse the mediation process, some people use mediation to drag out litigation, gain leverage for later negotiations, and generally wear down the opposition. Rules requiring good-faith participation are likely to be ineffective and possibly counterproductive. This Article proposes using dispute system design principles to develop policies satisfying the interests of stakeholders in court-connected mediation programs. After outlining interests of key stakeholder groups including litigants, attorneys, courts, and mediators, the Article describes specific policies that could satisfy their interests. …

False Dichotomies And Asking The Right Questions, John Wade

John Wade

This is a comment on a recent article entitled Enacting and Reproducing Social and Individual Identity Through Mediation by Ho-Beng Chia, Chee-Leong Chong, Joo-Eng Lee-Partridge, Chantel Chu Shi Hwee, and Sharon Francesca Koh Wei-Fei, in Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 2000, 19(1).

Mediation – Seven Fundamental Questions, John Wade

John Wade

In parts of many countries, mediation is a commonly used process for managing and resolving conflict. In many other places, mediation is virtually unknown in both practice and theory. People confuse mediation with meditation or medication. Why do these interesting anthropological variations exist? Why are the various forms of mediation relatively uncommon in Sweden?

A vast and growing literature is available on conflict management and mediation. This short comment will outline seven fundamental and recurring questions about mediation. Similar questions can be asked helpfully about every profession, including lawyering, plumbing and judging. Every lawyer should be able to answer these …

“Don’T Waste My Time On Negotiation And Mediation, This Dispute Needs A Judge.” Which Conflicts Need Judges? Which Conflicts Need Filing?, John Wade

John Wade

This article contains two parts. First, there is a framework aimed at encouraging lawyers and other conflict managers to be overtly analytical when deciding which interventions may or may not be helpful in a particular conflict. Second, to illustrate this analytical framework, there are two lists of factors or diagnostic indicators that suggest that certain conflicts probably need the decision of an umpire or judge and that certain other conflicts probably need written claims to be filed in a court or tribunal. This article does not attempt to create lists of factors that indicate the suitability of many other processes, …

Adr, The Judiciary, & Justice: Coming To Terms With The Alternatives, Erin Ryan

Erin Ryan

[This student note is the closing chapter of the Harvard Law Review “Developments in the Law” issue for the year 2000, devoted to developments in civil litigation.] Any discussion of recent developments in civil litigation must address the virtual revolution that has taken place regarding alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Attorneys have witnessed a steady growth in their clients' recourse to ADR in place of lawsuits, and ADR is increasingly incorporated into the litigation process by the judiciary itself—in the form of court-annexed arbitration, mediation, summary jury trials, early neutral evaluation, and judicial settlement conferences. “Alternative” models of dispute resolution have …