Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons^™

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

Scholarly Works

Even an adept negotiator can be baffled by cultural differences. When a negotiation reaches an impasse because of an unfamiliar cultural interest or a miscommunication between the parties due to different styles of communicating, negotiating, or decision-making, the negotiator might find it helpful to enlist assistance from a culturally-trained and culturally-appropriate mediator. This Article considers how such a third party can help you, as a negotiator, bridge cultural differences. It considers when to seek aid from a mediator, what the credentials of the mediator ought to be, and the impact of the mediator's approach on the way you represent your …

A Price Theory Of Legal Bargaining: An Inquiry Into The Selection Of Settlement And Litigation Under Uncertainty, Robert J. Rhee

UF Law Faculty Publications

Conventional wisdom says that economic surplus is created when the cost of litigation is foregone in favor of settlement, a theory flowing from the Coase Theorem. The cost-benefit analysis weighs settlement against the expected value of litigation net of transaction cost. This calculus yields the normative proposition that settlement is a superior form of dispute resolution and so most trials are considered errors. While simple in concept, the prevailing economic model is flawed. This article is a theoretical inquiry into the selection criteria of settlement and trial. It applies principles of financial economics to construct a pricing theory of legal …

Vanishing Trial, Vanishing Community - The Potential Effect Of The Vanishing Trial On America's Social Capital, Robert M. Ackerman

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This essay considers the communitarian implications of the vanishing trial phenomenon. Its language is tentative, because while we now have-thanks to Marc Galanter and his associates-a great deal of useful data on the vanishing trial, we have only some hints regarding its causes, and an even less concrete notion of its likely consequences.' The empirical data unearthed by Professor Galanter and others has debunked a number of myths regarding the litigiousness of our society and the extent to which the courts are employed to resolve disputes. Given the care that has been invested in this research, it would be reckless …

When We Hold No Truths To Be Self-Evident: Truth, Belief, Trust, And The Decline In Trials, Lisa Blomgren Bingham

Journal of Dispute Resolution

This article will explore the relationship between the "vanishing trial" and the changing ways in which we think about truth. First, it briefly overviews how we think about knowing what is true: epistemology and this history of philosophy. Second, it looks to the philosophy of science and history of social science for new theories and methods about how we ascertain and construct meaning and what we believe to be real and true. Third, it examines our changing relation to information in the face of the "information explosion": information is the evidence upon which we reach a conclusion about what is …

When Confidentiality Is Not Essential To Mediation And Competing Interests Necessitate Disclosure, Patrick Gill

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Mediation is a process where a neutral intervener helps disputing parties develop a mutually beneficial resolution. Confidentiality is an established element of mediation. In general, confidentiality furthers the ability of the parties to seek mutually beneficial outcomes to disputes that would otherwise customarily produce a win/lose result. Confidentiality encourages parties to explore their underlying interests, without fear of the repercussions of revealing such information. Arguments are asserted that mediation will not succeed without the assurance that communications will be protected by a confidentiality privilege. The Uniform Mediation Act (UMA) has attempted to clarify the various confidentiality protections afforded by individual …

How Far Is Too Far: Reexamining The Continuing Extension Of Arbitral Immunity To Arbitral Organizations, Elizabeth Wilhelmi

Journal of Dispute Resolution

The protection of arbitration proceedings from judicial inquiry is restricted not only by the limited grounds for vacatur, but also by the application of arbitral immunity, a protection derived from the judicial immunity applied to judges. This immunity strengthens the finality of arbitration by restricting judicial review of decisions protected by arbitral immunity, but at the same time, it raises the question of whether courts should give arbitration the same broad immunity that protects judges. Despite the differences between arbitration and the judicial system, the courts have applied arbitral immunity to the arbitrator's acts in the same way as they …

Research-Informed Models For Communicating The Value Of Court-Connected Alternative Dispute Resolution For Public Funding, Kevin Dye

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The purpose of framing the research in the following models is to assist the court and its court-connected mediation programs in their ongoing dialogue with the funding decision-makers in addressing the question: Is state funding of community mediation centers and court ADR generally a worthwhile investment? As a means of setting forth components of an analytic framework, the following simplified financial models are offered to draw out salient aspects of the nature of the investment. The simplified models are employed primarily for the purpose of illustrating the investment in terms of classic financial models familiar to a budget analyst. These …

The Contractarian Model Of Arbitration And Its Implications For Judicial Review Of Arbitral Awards, Paul F. Kirgis

Faculty Law Review Articles

Those who favor the current system of virtually unlimited and unreviewable arbitration can forestall change—and even avoid engaging in a sustained policy discussion—by falling back on those defenses. While it is not possible to resolve the policy issues finally, it is possible to assess whether the principle of party autonomy, coupled with applicable legal doctrine, justifies the degree of deference courts have adopted. That is what I attempt in this Article. I argue that, at least in certain classes of cases, the principle of party autonomy requires greater judicial scrutiny of arbitral awards. I argue further that this result is …

The Explained Award Of Damocles: Protection Or Peril In Securities Arbitration, Jill I. Gross

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

NASD's proposed rule change requiring arbitrators to provide written explanations in arbitration awards upon the customers' request (the “explained award proposal”), which was published for public comment in July 2005, is the clearest example of NASD's proposing a rule change in response to investors' complaints. “We have found that investors want to know more about how a panel reaches its decision,” stated NASD Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert R. Glauber in announcing the explained award proposal. “By giving investors the option of requiring a written explanation of an arbitration panel's decision, we will increase investor confidence in the fairness …

Resolving Civilian-Police Complaints In New York City: Reflections On Mediation In The Real World, Raymond W. Patterson

Scholarly Works

The Civilian Complaint Review Board mediation program associated with the New York City Police Department appears to be an attractive alternative to the investigative process offered to complainants, offering the possibility of a higher level of satisfaction for both the civilian and the police officer. According to the scheme devised by the agency and the NYPD, cases that meet mediation guidelines should move smoothly from investigations through the approval process, coming to a scheduled mediation in a timely manner. Complaints containing some factor making them inappropriate for mediation should be able to be identified during that approval process, thus ensuring …

Re-Framing The Sharia Arbitration Debate, Trevor C. W. Farrow

Articles & Book Chapters

This article is a response to Mr. McGuinty regarding his response to religious arbitration in the province of Ontario. First, the issue is not about simply prohibiting religious tribunals. Second, it is not only an Ontario issue. Third, it is not necessarily even a Sharia (or religion) issue. This article focuses on these three problems.

Origin, Scope, And Irrevocability Of The Manifest Disregard Of The Law Doctrine: Second Circuit Views, Christian Turner, Joshua Ratner

Scholarly Works

After arbitration has occurred, parties may seek judicial enforcement of the arbitral award, converting the private determination into an enforceable judgment. Parties that did not prevail in the arbitration may, at the same time, seek to have the arbitral award vacated. This article concerns the doctrine that permits courts to vacate an arbitral award when the arbitrators “manifestly disregarded” the law, focusing on recent developments in the Second Circuit. Despite the exceedingly deferential scope of this doctrine, the Second Circuit has actually vacated a handful of arbitrations on grounds of manifest disregard, and the doctrine is routinely raised by litigants. …

Designer Trials, Elizabeth G. Thornburg

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

This article considers the intersection of freedom of contract and the trials that have not vanished. Could contracting parties effectively agree in advance of a dispute that any litigation of the case will comply with certain rules? Would such an agreement be enforced even in a contract of adhesion? If so, parties with sufficient bargaining leverage could design away many of the characteristics of litigation that they find unappealing, without the need to resort to private processes. The result: a designer trial with the procedural deck stacked in favor of the party with the greatest pre-dispute bargaining power.

Such a …

The Interests Of "Peoples" In The Cooperative Management Of Sacred Sites, Kristen A. Carpenter

Publications

This essay contends that there is a structural element of federal law and policy that sets up legal battles over American Indian sacred sites. The Supreme Court has held that whatever rights groups may have at sacred sites, the federal government's rights as owner and sovereign of the public lands ultimately prevails. Federal agencies can, if they choose, accommodate various interests on the public lands, but such decisions are left to fluctuating executive policy and the discretion of land managers. This approach reflects well-established doctrine in public lands law, but leaves various citizens and groups clamoring for the federal government …

Interlocutory Appeals Under The Federal Arbitration Act And The Effect On The District Court’S Proceedings, Michael P. Winkler

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Psychology Of Emotional Legal Decision Making: Revulsion And Saving Face In Legal Theory And Practice, Peter H. Huang, Christopher J. Anderson

Publications

Professor Martha C. Nussbaum is an accomplished scholar in an impressive variety of fields. Drawing on her diverse academic backgrounds, Nussbaum has written extensively about emotions and their importance for law from the perspective of her primary specialty, philosophy. Her book Hiding from Humanity criticizes the roles that two particular emotions, disgust and shame, play in the law. Its central thesis is that, as legal actors, we should be wary of disgust and shame because indulging in those emotions allows us to hide from our humanity - both our humanity in the general sense and also those specific features of …

Creating Positive Facts On The Ground: A Viable Palestinian State Overview, Byron Bland, Lee Ross, Walid Salem

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Link Between Domestic Conflicts And Negotiation Failure In The Middle East, Russell Korobkin

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Mediation Success Or Failure: A Search For The Elusive Criteria, Jacob Bercovitch

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

One of the central issues in the field of conflict resolution concerns the degree to which we can define a mediated or negotiated outcome as successful. How do we know that an outcome meets the criteria of success? How can we evaluate it? For example, how would we define the conclusion of the Camp David talks, where President Carter so ably mediated between the parties, and which produced a historic agreement between Israel and Egypt in 1978? Was that ground-breaking agreement successful? There will be as many opinions on that as there are commentators, but few will stop and think …

Promotion Of International Commercial Arbitration And Other Alternative Dispute Resolution Techniques In Ten Southern Mediterranean Countries, Giuseppe De Palo, Linda Costabile

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

As the strategic economic partner of the Southern Mediterranean (MEDA) region, the European Union (EU) seeks to promote effective mechanisms of development through increased industrial cooperation in order to create a Euro-Mediterranean area of shared prosperity. The first Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministries of Industry, held in June of 1996 in Brussels, listed among its priority objectives 1) the formation of a fair judicial and administrative framework for investment; and 2) the establishment and support of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through the development of regional networks. However, recent reports on world trade and investment describe the MEDA region as an …

Begging For Justice? Or, Adaptive Jurisprudence? Initial Reflections On Mandatory Adr To Enforce Women's Rights In Rwanda, Phyllis E. Bernard

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Article presents the author's personal reflections on the promise and perils involved in blending rules of modern law with traditional values of African culture. The project began from a basic premise that both Americans and Rwandans should proceed with caution when expanding the privatization of public justice. Nevertheless, an outside observer's caution must be balanced with respect for a nation's right to self-determination, even when those choices may clash with generally accepted ADR theory as developed in the United States. This Article suggests that we can all learn much from Rwanda's bold, pragmatic experiment in redefining the essential nature …

2005 Cardozo International Advocate For Peace Award: Acceptance Speech, Betty Kaari Murungi

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Thank you very much for this truly inspiring award, which I am honored to accept on my own behalf and on behalf of the many women with whom I have been privileged to work over the years. The award is presented against the backdrop of two historic international events: the passing of Rosa Parks and the announcement of the victory of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as the first elected female head of state of an African country.

Obstruction Of Justice: The Arbitration Process For Anti-Doping Violations During The Olympic Games, Andrew Goldstone

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note will discuss the serious legal, ethical, and scientific questions raised by the dispute resolution process for anti-doping violations during the Olympic Games. Throughout the Note, I will highlight both procedural and substantive aspects of the process which raise sufficiently serious legal issues to merit an American court's agreement to review an Olympic arbitration award. Part I will discuss the rise of doping in sports, and the manner in which the problem has been, and is currently being addressed within the Olympic Movement. Part II will explain the hierarchy of sports governing bodies beneath the IOC and also discuss …

Collaboration In The Exploration Of Outer Space: Using Adr To Resolve Conflicts In Space, Ka Fei Wong

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note will explore in detail the use of ADR procedures for claims brought under the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects of 1972 ("Liability Convention"), pointing out the benefits and effectiveness of the procedures. This Note will also explore the problems with the Liability Convention, and will suggest modifications to improve the ADR procedures set forth therein. By drawing on the ADR procedures from the Liability Convention as an example, this Note will suggest that the use of ADR procedures to resolve most outer space conflicts would be most desirable. Although ADR procedures currently exist …

Masthead, Cardozo Journal Of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 8 (2006-07), Iss. 1

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

No abstract provided.

The Propriety Of Expanded Judicial Review Under The Faa: Achieving A Balance Between Enforcing Parties' Agreements According To Their Terms And Maintaining Arbitral Efficiency, Eric Chafetz

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

After an arbitration is concluded, the arbitrator or panel issues an award. An award is analogous to a court's judgment. Parties to an arbitration award can voluntarily comply with the award, without court intervention. However, unlike a trial where a judge's order marks the end of the proceedings, an arbitrator's award has no actual legal affect without court intervention. Court intervention occurs when a party files a motion either to confirm or to vacate an arbitration award.

Holding Restorative Justice Accountable, Zvi D. Gabbay

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Part I of this Article provides a better understanding of the restorative justice theory and its practical expressions. It describes the values and objectives upon which restorative justice is premised and introduces the three most common restorative justice practices: victim-offender mediation, group conferencing and circles. Part II introduces the democratic experimentalism model and demonstrates its compatibility with the restorative justice theory. Part III introduces four restorative justice programs currently operating in the United States, two operated by courts and two by prosecuting agencies. Part IV demonstrates the inadequacy of the evaluation mechanisms currently employed by these programs and emphasizes the …

The Role Of Citizens And The Future Of International Law: A Paradigm For A Changing World, Avnita Lakhani

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Time is on our side and security is to be found, only if we would have a change of heart about the role that citizens can play in the future of international law. True, citizens do play a role in the development and enforcement of domestic laws, especially in more democratic and Western societies. Citizens have also had significant influence in the development of international law. However, citizens (i.e. non-state actors) have not had a direct hand in the enforcement of international law through private action as accorded to state-actors (i.e. governments). This means that citizens, in most cases, have …

Language, Morals, And Conceptual Frameworks In Dispute Resolution: Establishing, Employing, And Managing The Logos, Michael T. Wawrzycki

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Any lawyer knows that words and language are important. A single word can derail a painstakingly written contract; the characterization of a would-be killer as a victim framed by racist police officers, rather than a jealous husband, can change the outcome of a case. Yet like many maxims, this important lesson is often forgotten when one is not confronted with the direct principles of words and language. Moreover, even most lawyers do not fully understand how to appropriately utilize the language tools that can change outcomes: myopically focusing on specific issues or characterizations rather than the overall conceptual frames.

Mediating Cases Involving Domestic Violence: Solution Or Setback?, Aimee Davis

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note will first explore the psychological and social aspects of domestic violence. It will then examine the appropriateness of mediation for such cases, exploring viewpoints on the topic. Lastly, the Note will propose a standard to guide cases involving domestic violence. Although the victim should always have the final word on whether to mediate, a judge, psychologist, and mediator should collaborate and make a united recommendation as to how they suggest the victim should proceed. This will allow the victim to make a thoughtful and individualized assessment of her situation.