Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons^™

Shifting The Focus From The Myth Of "The Vanishing Trial" To Complex Conflict Management Systems, Or I Learned Almost Everything I Need To Know About Conflict Resolution From Marc Galanter, John M. Lande

Faculty Publications

To say that The Vanishing Trial is a myth is not to suggest that the facts or analysis in Professor Marc Galanter's seminal report on the vanishing trial are fictional or inaccurate. Indeed, he marshals a massive amount of data to show that the number of trials and the trial rates have been declining for the past four decades, particularly in the federal courts. The report documents an apparent paradox: the proportion of cases going to trial has dropped sharply during the past forty years despite substantial increases in many other legal indicators including the number of lawyers, the number …

Democracy And Dispute Resolution: Systems Design And The New Workplace, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

There has been growing discussion in law reviews and business journals about the so-called new workplace, which is distinguished from the old, in part, by greater employee mobility and job flexibility. This article extends that discussion by exploring the implications of the new workplace for the design of dispute resolution systems. In particular, it argues that the structure and values of the new workplace correspond to the essential values of democratic governance, and that dispute resolution should be integrated into the new workplace in a way that enhances rather than diminishes these core democratic values. As I have articulated in …

Democracy And Dispute Resolution: The Problem Of Arbitration, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

Scholars have approached arbitration, especially under the Federal Arbitration Act, from a variety of perspectives, including doctrinal, historical, empirical, and practical. One aspect that has not yet been fully considered, however, is the relationship between arbitration and constitutional democracy. Yet, as a dispute-resolution process that is often sanctioned by the government, that sometimes inextricably intertwines governmental and private conduct, and that derives its legitimacy from the government, it is appropriate--indeed, our responsibility--to ask whether arbitration furthers the goals of democratic governance. It is only sensible that state-supported dispute resolution in a democracy should strengthen, rather than diminish, democratic governance and …

Investor Protection And Foreign Investment Under Nafta Chapter 11: Prospects For The Western Hemisphere Under Chapter 17 Of The Ftaa, Jacqueline Granados

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article argues that adopting NAFTA-like investor protection provisions in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) could significantly increase foreign direct investment (FDI) across the Americas, benefiting both investors and host countries. It emphasizes the importance of balancing investor rights with public interest considerations, such as environmental regulation, and highlights the need for clear definitions and procedural safeguards in the FTAA's investment chapter. The article also underscores the role of legal reforms and policy liberalization in Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC) to maximize the agreement's potential benefits.

Assessing The Case For Employment Arbitration: A New Path For Empirical Research, David Sherwyn, Samuel Estreicher, Michael Heise

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Appraising Surge In Legal Scholarship Regarding Restorative Justice And Discovering Lenses To The South: Is Global Criminal Justice Necessarily Different Than United States Ideal?, Nancy D. Erbe

ExpressO

The recent interest in restorative justice around the world provides a critical lenses to the South. Can we bridge our philosophical differences and preserve our most cherished ideals through a pragmatic look at viable alternatives. Restorative justice appears to be leading the way.

Appreciating Adr's Global Role With Good Governance, Nancy D. Erbe

ExpressO

Alternative dispute resolution is surging around the world given its parallels to and provision critically needed governance. International practitioners are interviewed to identify the most noteworthy trends and concerns. Will ADR erode or elevate good governance?

The North Korean Nuclear Crisis: Past Failures And Present Solutions, Morse Tan

ExpressO

North Korea has recently announced that it has developed nuclear weapons and has pulled out of the six-party talks. These events do not emerge out of a vacuum, and this article lends perspective based on an interdisciplinary lens that seeks to grapple with the complexities and provide constructive approaches based on this well-researched understanding. This article analyzes political, military, historical, legal and other angles of this international crisis.

Past dealings with North Korea have been unfruitful because other nations do not recognize the ties between North Korean acts and its ideology and objectives. For a satisfactory resolution to the current …

From St. Ives To Cyberspace: The Modern Distortion Of The Medieval 'Law Merchant', Stephen E. Sachs

ExpressO

Modern advocates of corporate self-regulation have drawn unlikely inspiration from the Middle Ages. On the traditional view of history, medieval merchants who wandered from fair to fair were not governed by domestic laws, but by their own lex mercatoria, or "law merchant." This law, which uniformly regulated commerce across Europe, was supposedly produced by an autonomous merchant class, interpreted in private courts, and enforced through private sanctions rather than state coercion. Contemporary writers have treated global corporations as descendants of these itinerant traders, urging them to replace conflicting national laws with a law of their own creation. The standard history …

Finding A Happy Ending For Foreign Investors: The Enforcement Of Arbitration Awards In The People's Republic Of China, Ellen S. Reinstein

ExpressO

The Chinese judicial system has long been criticized for its rampant local protectionism and corruption and its lack of protections for foreign parties. To avoid litigation in China, most foreign investors insist on arbitration clauses in their contract. But even if they win the arbitration, foreigners must return to the Chinese courts to enforce the arbitration awards. Western lawyers, scholars and business people have repeatedly criticized the Chinese courts for their unwillingness to enforce arbitration awards in favor of foreign investors in favor of Chinese parties.

Over the last ten years, the Chinese Supreme People’s Court has attempted to address …

The Legitimacy Crisis In Investment Treaty Arbitration: Privatizing Public International Law Through Inconsistent Decisions, Susan Franck

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

The Immorality Of Denial, Jonathan R. Cohen

UF Law Faculty Publications

This article is the first of a two-part series critically examining the role of lawyers in assisting clients in denying responsibility for harms they have caused. If a person injures another, the moral response is for the injurer actively to take responsibility for what he has done. In contrast, the common practice within our legal culture is for injurers to deny responsibility for harms they commit. The immoral, in other words, has become the legally normal. In this Article, Professor Cohen analyzes the moral foundations of responsibility-taking. He also explores the moral, psychological, and spiritual risks to injurers who knowingly …

Eyes On The Prize: The Struggle For Professionalism, Nancy A. Welsh, Bobbi Mcadoo

Faculty Scholarship

Article Extract:

A mere fifteen years ago, the term mediation was confused regularly with meditation. Much has changed. The courts, frequently derided as overcrowded and expensive for individual litigants and the public, now rely on mediation to resolve cases and reduce dockets. Attorneys and judges are advocates; many have become mediators themselves.

Disputants generally express satisfaction with the process. It is not surprising that mediation-along with other ADR processes-has achieved institutionalization in the courts, public agencies and the private and nonprofit sectors.

We are now embarking on the next stage: professionalization. There are increasing references to "dispute professionals" or "professional …

Arbitration And State Action, Sarah Rudolph Cole

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

The "Duty" To Be A Rational Shareholder, David A. Hoffman

ExpressO

How and when do courts determine that corporate disclosures are actionable under the federal securities laws? The applicable standard is materiality: would a (mythical) "reasonable investor" have considered the disclosures important. As I establish through empirical and statistical testing of 500 cases analyzing the materiality standard, judicial findings of immateriality are remarkably common, and have been stable over time. Materiality's scope results in the dismissal of a large number of claims, and creates a set of cases in which courts attempt to explain and defend their vision of who is, and is not, a "reasonable investor." Thus, materiality provides an …

Summary Of Reno Hilton Resort Corp. V. Verderber, 121 Nev. Adv. Rep. 1 , Robert M. Henriksen

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

A class action was brought as a result of a Norwalk-like virus outbreak at the Reno Hilton in May and June of 1996. The district court divided the action into two phases. The first phase consisted of a jury trial regarding liability and class-wide punitive damages. The jury, imposing $25 million in punitive damages, found that the appellant’s (Reno Hilton Resort Corp.) policy of unpaid sick leave was the proximate cause of the outbreak. The second phase, which has not yet ensued, will consist of individual hearings to assess compensatory damages for each class member. Following the conclusion of the …

Awakening An Empire Of Liberty: Exploring The Roots Of Socratic Inquiry And Political Nihilism In American Democracy, Maurice R. Dyson

ExpressO

This book review timely examines Cornel West’s latest sequel to his 1992 best seller, Race Matters. In Democracy Matters, West unflinchingly examines the waning of democratic energies and nihilistic practices of private and public sector in our present age of democracy. This review takes a critical examination of the logic underpinning West’s arguments, his nomenclature of various nihilism plaguing our society, the sometimes clumsy employment of literary devices and his thesis regarding the ‘niggerization’ of America after 9/11 that can serve as a basis for unifying collective action against imperialism. West makes a compelling argument that the public needs to …

The Evolving Role Of The Labor Arbitrator (With J. Vonhof), Martin H. Malin

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Sublimely Clueless: On The Foundation Of Marriage In Statutory Law, Rodolphe Gasché

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Learning To Crawl: The Use Of Voluntary Caps On Damages In Medical Malpractice Litigation, Ralph Peeples, Catherine Harris

ExpressO

Medical malpractice insurance “crises” seem to recur with distressing frequency. Indeed, the escalating costs of malpractice insurance premiums have become the focal point for advocates of tort reform. While we know quite a bit about the medical malpractice system, we know very little about what might work to fix things. Many reforms have been tried; little has worked. The two most commonly attempted reforms – at least at present- are legislatively imposed caps on non-economic damages (i.e., pain and suffering) and the use of screening panels. Neither of these alternatives offers a satisfactory resolution to the problem.

This article proposes …

Peace And Justice: Notes On The Evolution And Purposes Of Legal Processes, Carrie Menkel-Meadow

Georgetown Law Faculty Lectures and Appearances

This text of the inaugural lecture for the A.B. Chettle, Jr. Chair in Dispute Resolution and Civil Procedure at Georgetown University Law Center presents an intellectual outline (theory and practice) for a house of justice built on the foundations of Lon Fuller, the Legal Process school, Jurgen Habermas' and Stuart Hampshire's social philosophy about democratic processes, the floors of comparative processes, drawing on the work of political theorist Jon Elster and empirical work on legal and political processes and the ceilings of new processes, like consensus building fora, truth and reconciliation commissions and other combinations of legal and political processes. …

The Effects Of Malpractice Tort Reform On Defensive Medicine, Heather M. O'Neill, Katherine D. Hennesy

Business and Economics Faculty Publications

Medical malpractice crises occur across states to differing degrees, thus the proposed changes in state tort reforms differ accordingly. The primary overt goals of tort reform aim to address: rising medical malpractice insurance rates, increased frequency and severity of awards, and the increased incidence of doctors shuttering offices or fleeing states due to untoward malpractice environments. A secondary goal of tort reform is to reduce health care costs attributed to malpractice costs. Clearly, as malpractice tort reforms are debated in state capitols and reforms take place, the effects of the reforms on the goals above can be examined. However, there …

Do's And Don'ts For Mediation Practice, Marjorie Corman Aaron

Faculty Articles and Other Publications

This is practical advice from mediators gleaned from years of experience and too many mistakes. It covers good and not-so-good practices in preliminary meetings and telephone conferences, joint sessions, and private caucuses.

Federal Court Special Masters: A Vital Resource In The Era Of Complex Litigation, Mark A. Fellows, Roger S. Haydock

William Mitchell Law Review

This article is dedicated to all those who have served as special masters in federal court. After serving as a judicial master, it is easy to believe in the importance of the role in our grand system of justice. After reading this article, we hope it will be clear how vital masters are to everyone receiving fair, just, and expedient civil justice.

Law And Atrocity: Settling Accounts In Rwanda, Mark A. Drumbl

Scholarly Articles

Ten years ago, genocide ravaged the tiny African nation of Rwanda. In the wake of this violence, Rwanda has struggled to reconstruct, rebuild, and reconcile. Law-in particular, criminal trials for alleged perpetrators of genocide- has figured prominently among various policy mechanisms in postgenocide Rwanda. Criminal trials for Rwandan genocidaires' aspire to achieve several goals. These include exacting retribution, promoting reconciliation, deterring future violence, expressing victims' outrage, maintaining peace, and cultivating a culture of human rights.2 In this Lecture, I examine the extent to which these trials attain these multiple, often competing, and largely overwhelming goals. Part I begins by setting …

Comparative Analysis Of Litigation Systems: An Auction‐Theoretic Approach, Michael R. Baye, Dan Kovenock, Casper G. De Vries

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

A simple auction-theoretic framework is used to examine symmetric litigation environments where the legal ownership of a disputed asset is unknown to the court. The court observes only the quality of the case presented by each party, and awards the asset to the party presenting the best case. Rational litigants influence the quality of their cases by hiring skilful attorneys. This framework permits us to compare the equilibrium legal expenditures that arise under a continuum of legal systems. The British rule, Continental rule, American rule, and some recently proposed legal reforms are special cases of our model.

The Dispute Resolution Profession Should Not Celebrate The Vanishing Trial, Bruce E. Meyerson

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Many mediators and arbitrators are celebrating the vanishing trial and the increasing use ADR, viewing this as a vindication of ADR over litigation. I suggest that those of us of who make a living as neutrals should not take out the champagne; but rather, we should help improve the quality of our litigation system. Why?

The Vanishing Trial: Land Mine On The Mediation Landscape Or Opportunity For Evolution: Ruminations On The Future Of Mediation Practice, Kimberlee K. Kovach

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Several decades ago, mediation developed as an alternative to the use of courts for resolving disputes. Over the years, the use of mediation to resolve lawsuits has greatly increased. The reasons for this evolution are numerous, and the primary underlying impetus for the use of mediation has, in many cases, impacted just how the process is conducted. For example, some view mediation as a process which provides individuals or groups engaged in a dispute or conflict with a collaborative and flexible process for dispute resolution. This view of the process also encourages party participation and empowerment, which often allows relationships …

Summary Of Jordan V. State, Dep’T Of Motor Vehicles, 121 Nev. Adv. Op. 7, Daria Snadowsky

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Jordan v. State rules on two separate appeals that address the same issue of first impression regarding guidelines Nevada state courts must follow in order to restrict court access to in proper person litigants with in forma pauperis status. This case also reconfirms the process by which in forma applications are reviewed. In the first case, respondent Officer Jimmie W. Jones arrested proper person appellant James Jacob Jordan for trespassing on state property2 after Jordan did not heed Officer Jones’s warning to leave the premises. After the trespass charge was dropped the following day, Jordan sued Officer Jones along with …

Lack Of Meaningful Choice Defined: Your Job Vs. Your Right To Sue In A Judicial Forum, Sara Lingafelter

Seattle University Law Review

Mandatory arbitration agreements subvert an employee's constitutional right to a judicial forum and generally place unfair burdens on plaintiffs. An employee faced with the option of either signing a mandatory arbitration agreement or losing a job often has no meaningful choice. The Supreme Court, however, has failed to recognize first that Congress did not intend for mandatory arbitration to extend to Title VII claims and second, that employers often leave employees with no meaningful choice regarding mandatory arbitration. Nonetheless, state and federal judges are increasingly recognizing that arbitration agreements may be the product of procedural unconscionability. Accordingly, when employees are …