Law Commons^™

Book Review: The Negotiator's Desk Reference, Dorcas Quek Anderson

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Negotiation theory and practice have evolved at a phenomenal pace since thepublication of Fisher and Ury’s seminal work Getting to Yes.1 The sheer breadth of topics inThe Negotiator’s Desk Reference2 (“NDR”) attests to how negotiation has advanced as a multidisciplinary field. Published in 2017 to replace its predecessor The Negotiator’s Fieldbook,3the NDR comprises 101 chapters written by very prominent academics and practitioners drawnfrom a wide range of professions, disciplines and cultures. According to its editors, more thanhalf of the contents are new, reflecting the new frontiers of the negotiation field.

Contemporary Issues In Mediation (Vol 3)Joel Lee & Marcus Lim Gen Eds, Eunice Chua

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This is a book review of the third volume of Contemporary Issues in Mediation, published by the SingaporeInternational Mediation Institute.

How Can Practitioners Help Clients Assess Their Interests And Risks In Litigation?, John Lande

Faculty Blogs

This post summarizes the discussion at a Quinnipiac-Yale Dispute Resolution Workshop. It highlights some practical ideas that the audience suggested about clients’ interests, timing of discovery and mediation, possible trial outcomes, legal fees, consequences of litigation, and decision fatigue in “marathon mediations.”

C-Drum News, Fall 2018

The C-DRUM News

No abstract provided.

Reality-Testing Questions For Real Life And Simulations – And Ideas For Stone Soup Assignments, John Lande

Faculty Blogs

Although litigants and their lawyers may generally recognize that litigants will incur some intangible costs, they often do not consider the numerous intangible ways that litigants can be harmed and do not carefully assess these costs when making litigation decisions. Sometimes litigants’ intangible costs are much more important to them than the tangible costs. This post provides detailed descriptions of some of these costs, and includes questions that lawyers and mediators should ask clients to identify and value intangible costs.

What Do Litigants Really Want?, John M. Lande

Faculty Blogs

This post discusses Donna Shestowsky’s article, Inside the Mind of the Client: An Analysis of Litigants’ Decision Criteria for Choosing Procedures. Her study found that the decision-making factor that subjects most often cited was their lawyers’ advice. Donna argues, “Given the extent to which litigants are predisposed to following their lawyers’ advice about which procedures to use, lawyers should attempt to understand their clients’ interests, values, and objectives before sharing their personal evaluations of procedures to avoid imposing their own views.”

How Should The Courts Know Whether A Dispute Is Ready And Suitable For Mediation? An Empirical Analysis Of The Singapore Courts’ Referral Of Civil Disputes To Mediation, Dorcas Quek Anderson, Eunice Chua, Tra My Ngo

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In line with international developments in court-connected mediation, the Singapore courts have strongly supported the use of mediation and have taken steps to encourage litigants to attempt mediation. This article features the very first empirical analysis of the Singapore courts' referral of civil cases to mediation. Although focused on Singapore, the results of the study also inform the referral policies of other judiciaries that similarly engage in the practice of referring cases for mediation. The study uses a rigorous method to shed light on the crucial factors to be considered by the courts in referral practice and designing of mediation …

You've Got Your Mother's Laugh: What Bankruptcy Mediation Can Learn From The Her/History Of Divorce And Child Custody Mediation, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

Due to our current deep economic woes, growing bankruptcy filings, and apparent legislative unwillingness to expand the number of judges, bankruptcy courts are exploring the use of mediation to help resolve adversary proceedings, negotiate elements of reorganizations, and deal with claims that cannot be heard directly in bankruptcy proceedings. In addition, mediation advocates have been consistent in urging greater use of the process to reduce debtors’ and claimants’ costs, bridge the jurisdictional and standing challenges that bankruptcies can pose, and offer claimants the opportunity to be heard and determine their own resolution of claims. At this point, the relatively few …

The Thinning Vision Of Self-Determination In Court-Connected Mediation: The Inevitable Price Of Institutionalization?, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

Ethical codes for mediators describe party self-determination as “the fundamental principle of mediation,” regardless of the context within which the mediation is occurring. The definition of self-determination, however, is a matter of dispute. Based on a review of the debate surrounding the promulgation and revision of ethical codes for court-connected mediators in Florida and Minnesota, this Article demonstrates that a vision of self-determination anchored in party-centered empowerment is yielding to a vision that is more reflective of the norms and traditional practices of lawyers and judges, as well as the courts’ strong orientation to efficiency and closure of cases through …

The Thoughtful Integration Of Mediation Into Bilateral Investment Treaty Arbitration, Nancy A. Welsh, Andrea Kupfer Schneider

Nancy Welsh

While the current system of investment treaty arbitration has definitely improved upon the “gunboat diplomacy” used at times to address disputes between states and foreign investors, there are signs that reform is needed: states and investors increasingly express concerns regarding the costs associated with the arbitration process, some states refuse to comply with arbitral awards, other states hesitate to sign new bilateral investment treaties, and citizens have begun to engage in popular unrest at the prospect of investment treaty arbitration. As a result, both investors and states are advocating for the use of mediation to supplement investor-state arbitration. This Article …

The Place Of Court-Connected Mediation In A Democratic Justice System, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

A justice system, and the processes located within it, ought to deliver justice. That seems simple enough. But, of course, delivering justice is never so simple. Justice and the systems that serve it are the creatures of context.

This Article considers mediation as just one innovation within the much larger evolution of the judicial system of the United States. First, this Article outlines how the values of democratic governance undergird our traditional picture of the American justice system, presumably because the invocation of such values helps the system to deliver something that will be respected by the nation’s citizens as …

Stepping Back Through The Looking Glass: Real Conversations With Real Disputants About Institutionalized Mediation And Its Value, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

This Article describes what a group of real disputants perceives as most valuable about agency-connected mediation before, soon after, and eighteen months after they participated in the process. The Article is based primarily upon qualitative data from in-depth interviews with parents and school officials who participated in special education mediation sessions. Though the specific context of these interviews is obviously important, these disputants and their disputes share many commonalities with disputants and disputes in other contexts and, as a result, these disputants' views have relevance for the broader field of mediation.

These interviews suggest that both before and after disputants …

Musings On Mediation, Kleenex, And (Smudged) White Hats, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

This Essay speculates on the global future of mediation. It anticipates that mediation’s popularity will continue to grow both in the U.S. and abroad particularly as courts continue to encourage and institutionalize the process. Meanwhile, the Essay acknowledges the existence and continuing development of a relatively small cadre of elite lawyers and retired judges who serve as private mediators in large, complex matters.

The Essay also raises concerns, though, regarding the current lack of clarity in the goals and procedural characteristics that define mediation. The Essay asserts that such lack of clarity invites abuse of the mediation privilege and exclusionary …

Look Before You Leap And Keep On Looking: Lessons From The Institutionalization Of Court-Connected Mediation, Bobbi Mcadoo, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

This article will use the institutionalization of general civil mediation into the courts as a case study, with both hopeful and cautionary lessons for policy makers. This article will (1) examine the goals created for court-connected ADR; (2) assess to what extent court-connected mediation has achieved these goals, from the perspective of judges, lawyers, and parties; and (3) and propose reforms of court-connected mediation to better ensure the achievement of justice.

Making Deals In Court-Connected Mediation: What's Justice Got To Do With It?, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

When mediation was first introduced to the courts, the process was hailed as “alternative.” Mediation gave disputants the opportunity to discuss and resolve their dispute themselves; the role of the third party was to facilitate the disputants’ negotiations, not to dictate the outcome; and because the disputants were able to focus on their underlying interests in mediation, the process could result in creative, customized solutions. The picture of mediation is changing, however, as the process settles into its role as a tool for the resolution of personal injury, contract, and other nonfamily cases on the courts’ civil dockets. Attorneys dominate …

Integrating "Alternative" Dispute Resolution Into Bankruptcy: As Simple (And Pure) As Motherhood And Apple Pie?, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

Today, there can be little doubt that “alternative” dispute resolution is anything but alternative. Nonetheless, many judges, lawyers (and law students) do not truly understand the dispute resolution processes that are available and how they should be used. In the shadow of the current economic crisis, this lack of knowledge is likely to have negative consequences, particularly in those areas of practice such as bankruptcy and foreclosure in which clients, lawyers, regulators, and courts work under pressure, often with inadequate time and financial resources to permit careful analysis of procedural options. Potential negative effects can include: (1) impairment of a …

I Could Have Been A Contender: Summary Jury Trial As A Means To Overcome Iqbal's Negative Effects Upon Pre-Litigation Communication, Negotiation And Early, Consensual Dispute Resolution, Nancy A. Welsh

Nancy Welsh

With its recent decisions in Ashcroft v. Iqbal and Bell Atlantic v. Twombly, the Supreme Court may be intentionally or unintentionally “throwing the fight,” at least in the legal contests between many civil rights claimants and institutional defendants. The most obvious feared effect is reduction of civil rights claimants’ access to the expressive and coercive power of the courts. Less obviously, the Supreme Court may be effectively undermining institutions’ motivation to negotiate, mediate - or even communicate with and listen to - such claimants before they initiate legal action. Thus, the Supreme Court’s recent decisions have the potential to deprive …

Becoming "Investor-State Mediation", Nancy A. Welsh, Andrea Kupfer Schneider

Nancy Welsh

While the current system of investment treaty arbitration has definitely improved upon the “gunboat diplomacy” used at times to address disputes between states and foreign investors, there are signs that reform is needed. Increasingly, states and investors express concerns regarding the costs associated with the arbitration process; some states are refusing to comply with arbitral awards; other states now hesitate to sign new bilateral investment treaties; and citizens have begun to engage in popular unrest at the prospect of investment treaty arbitration. As a result, both investors and states are advocating for the use of mediation to supplement investor-state arbitration. …

Keet And Heavin On Why Litigation Interest And Risk Assessment Is So Darn Important For Lawyers And Mediators – And How You Can Make Stone Soup With It, John Lande

Faculty Blogs

This post provides links to law review articles by Michaela Keet and Heather Heavin that provide the foundation for the LIRA book.

Symposium Transcript: Pepperdine Drlj Symposium 2018, Jenna King

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Investor-State Dispute Settlement Reconceptionalized: Regulation Of Disputes, Standards And Mediation, M. R. Dahlan, Wolf Von Kumberg

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This paper argues that the current criticisms of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) are ill-informed, and attempts at reforming the system are misguided. The definition of ISDS itself has been, for a long time, limited to investment quasi-judicial bodies or at best arbitration. Analysis of the roots of the ever growing backlash reveals that the main causes for concern are politically negotiated investment treaties, an inherently biased system, lack of transparency, and inconsistent decision-making. Examination of the core reasons behind these complaints leads to the conclusion that the EU Commission’s solution to reform ISDS through a permanent court raises more issues …

The New Handshake: Using Odr To Create Value For Consumers And Businesses, John Lande

Faculty Blogs

This post discusses issues related to the ABA book, The New Handshake: Online Dispute Resolution and the Future of Consumer Protection, by Amy Schmitz and Colin Rule. The book is designed to help build consumer protection that will benefit both consumers and merchants. It explains problems with the status quo, suggesting how ODR can improve handling of consumer problems and identifying challenges in implementing ODR systems.

Honoring Professor Bruce Kogan (05-07-2018), Michael M. Bowden

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Amending Maine's Plain Language Law To Ensure Complete Disclosure To Consumers Signing Arbitration Contracts, Andrew R. Sarapas

Maine Law Review

Arbitration has been defined as an informal procedure used by disputants to resolve their differences in a forum other than a court of law. By agreeing to arbitration, the parties submit their disputes to selected arbitrators, whose reasoning and final decisions or awards supplant the judgment of the established judicial tribunals. Further, the decisions of arbitrators are usually binding and enforceable in courts. Although arbitration has been lauded for being less expensive and time-consuming than litigation, consumers arbitrating disputes with large companies may not be playing on a level field. It is important, however, to distinguish arbitration from mediation. Arbitrators, …

Newsroom: Court As Classroom 03-01-2018, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

The Possibility Of Using Alternative Dispute Resolution For Election Law Disputes, Jessica Becerra

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article looks at the positive effects that ADR can have in resolving election law disputes before, during, and after elections. First, this article will focus on the significance of implementing ADR processes in resolving election law disputes. Next, this article will explain the background and impact that election law disputes have on voters, candidates, and the election process as a whole. This article will then explore why ADR processes should be implemented as opposed to using litigation to resolve election law disputes. After, this article will explain a proposed solution to resolving election law disputes through mediation or arbitration …

Confusing Dispute Resolution Jargon, John M. Lande

Faculty Blogs

Decision trees enable people to assign probabilities to various contingencies and produce expected values for uncertain events.

Collaborating For Transformation, Marjorie A. Silver

Journal of Experiential Learning

No abstract provided.

Mediation And Millennials: A Dispute Resolution Mechanism To Match A New Generation, Shawna Benston, Brian Farkas

Journal of Experiential Learning

No abstract provided.

The New Settlement Tools, Bernard Chao, Christopher Robertson, David Yokum

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

By protecting the right to a jury, the state and federal constitutions recognize the fundamental value of having civil and criminal disputes resolved by laypersons. Actual trials, however, are relatively rare, in part because parties seek to avoid the risks and cost of trials and courts seek to clear dockets efficiently. But as desirable as settlement may be, it can be a difficult way to resolve a dispute. Parties view their cases from different perspectives, and these perspectives often cause both sides to be overly optimistic and to expect unreasonably large or unreasonably small resolutions.

This article describes a novel …