Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons^™

A New Nature Of Pleading: Applying The Framework Of Common Law Pleading To Discovery As A Case-Initiation Tool, Masai Mcdougall

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The common law tradition has relied on the exchange of allegations to start lawsuits for centuries. This Article reviews a growing trend within that tradition that emphasizes the exchange of evidence— discovery—to initiate cases instead. When compared to the allegation exchange required under the modern American plausibility standard, an evidence-based exchange model has significant cost advantages for both the parties and the judicial system. While modern pleading practice attempts to control discovery costs by requiring a higher showing, a realistic assessment of party behavior in the modern pleading regime reveals that plausibility is actually quite expensive, and that limited discovery …

Chapter 4 Of The Federal Arbitration Act: An Empirical Analysis, Tamar Meshel

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

On March 3, 2022, Congress enacted the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021, codified as Chapter 4 of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). Chapter 4 is the first time that Congress has restricted the scope of the FAA in 100 years, by rendering invalid and unenforceable, at the election of a plaintiff, pre-dispute arbitration agreements in cases relating to sexual assault or sexual harassment disputes. This Article presents the results of a detailed qualitative and quantitative study of 180 state and federal court decisions interpreting Chapter 4, designed to evaluate its actual impact on …

Boozing And Schmoozing: Do They Improve Negotiations?, Andrea Kupfer Schneider, Michael Moffitt, Adrian Borbély, Mihaela Bonescu, Daniele Fares, Angela Sutan

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Negotiators routinely make seemingly minor decisions about the physical environment and social conditions in which negotiations occur, including seating arrangements, room design, and the availability of shared beverages. Yet the extent to which these choices influence negotiation outcomes and relationships remains insufficiently understood. This Article presents an experimental study examining how negotiation settings and beverage availability affect both substantive outcomes and relational dynamics. Using a controlled 3 × 2 experimental design involving 288 participants engaged in simulated buyer-seller negotiations, we examine the effects of wine, coffee, and no beverage across sterile and convivial negotiation environments. The Article explores the implications …

Regulatory Enforcement Post Jarkesy: Arbitration As An Alternative To Administrative Proceedings, Eli Mizrahi

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The Note examines the constitutional and practical consequences of Jarkesy, which held that defendants facing SEC civil penalties for securities fraud are entitled to a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment. It considers the limitations of both administrative proceedings and federal court litigation, including concerns about agency bias, restricted discovery, procedural disadvantages for respondents, litigation costs, and delays. Against this background, the Note proposes that FINRA, or another comparable arbitral body, expand its services to offer voluntary arbitration of SEC enforcement actions. Drawing on arbitration’s potential advantages—including speed, lower overall costs, specialized expertise, procedural flexibility, and greater perceived impartiality—the Note …

Reframing Foster Care Permanency Through Multi-Party Arbitration, Jacqueline Kitzes

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

The foster care system is intended to provide children with temporary, safe living arrangements while working toward permanency through reunification, adoption, or guardianship. Yet adversarial court proceedings, judicial backlogs, limited stakeholder participation, and insufficient judicial expertise in child development can delay permanency decisions and prolong children’s exposure to placement instability. This Note examines the shortcomings of the current judicial framework for resolving foster care cases and argues that multi-party arbitration offers a more efficient and child-centered alternative. Drawing on the historical development of the child welfare system and research concerning placement instability, permanency hearings, and stakeholder participation, the Note considers …

Cultural Appreciation Within Divorce Mediation: Considering Cultural Differences When Mediating Divorces Among South Asian Arranged Couples, Alisha Augustine

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Divorce mediation offers an alternative to litigation that can reduce costs, preserve privacy, and encourage cooperative solutions. However, mediators working with South Asian couples in arranged marriages may encounter cultural, familial, and socioeconomic considerations that conventional mediation practices do not adequately address. This Note examines the distinctive challenges that can arise in these divorces, including the social stigma surrounding separation, dowries and marital gifts, immigration and citizenship concerns, extended family involvement, traditional gender roles, child custody, and domestic violence. It distinguishes traditional arranged marriages from modern arranged marriages among South Asian Americans, emphasizing that cultural practices and individual experiences vary …

A Look Inside The Nba’S Game-Changing Technical Foul: The Warner Bros. Discovery And Nba Broadcast Rights Dispute And How It Could Have Been Resolved Through Alternative Dispute Resolution, Nicola Coates

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Despite being “the greatest studio show in sports TV history” and winning numerous Emmy Awards, the TNT Sports icon Inside the NBA was on the brink of disappearing. In 2024, the National Basketball Association (NBA) opted into a $77 billion contract with NBC, Amazon, and Disney’s ESPN, ending its forty-year relationship with Warner Brothers Discovery (Warner Bros. Discovery), the parent company of TNT Sports. Warner Bros. Discovery filed suit, alleging that, by rejecting its offer in favor of NBC, Amazon, and Disney, the NBA breached the parties’ 2014 media rights agreement, which included a right to match third-party offers. The …

An Open Door Policy: A Contemporary Analysis Of The Continuing Need For Court-Connected Civil Compulsory Arbitration Programs, Joshua D. Rogers

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Compulsory arbitration could be a crucial instrument in addressing an impending renewed litigation explosion. In the latter half of the twentieth century, numerous courts implemented court-connected civil compulsory arbitration programs to help address the substantial problems created by historic increases in civil litigation. Without much fanfare, these programs have been successfully operating to achieve the goals envisioned at their creation—improving judicial economy and efficiency. Despite the success and longevity in adopting jurisdictions, compulsory arbitration has peaked in its adoption and has seemingly faded into the background of the alternative dispute resolution conversation. Neglecting or dismissing this vital tool in the …

Stitching Up Industry Issues: Arbitration Can Offer Customized Solutions To Fashion Intellectual Property Disputes, Catherine Meng

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This comment proposes alternative dispute resolution (ADR), specifically arbitration, as a more effective mechanism for resolving fashion copyright disputes. The fashion industry has historically received limited protection for designs—primarily trademark and patent law—resulting in widespread copying and difficulty enforcing claims. In the 2017 case Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc., the Supreme Court added copyright to the patchwork of protections. However, that protection is available only for aesthetic elements, not functional ones. The difficulty in distinguishing these components, along with the challenges of enforcing claims across borders and between parties with unequal bargaining power, as in Hian v. Louis …

An Alternative Sacrifice: Religious Arbitration Agreements In Ministerial Employment Contracts, Grace E. Brandt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

After decades of development in lower courts, the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the ministerial exception in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. E.E.O.C. (2012) and provided additional guidance in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru (2020). The precise contours of the exception remain uncertain, but the doctrine—grounded in the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment—effectively bars civil courts from reviewing claims against religious institutions that implicate ministerial employment decisions. Thus, ministers are unable to pursue redress for legitimate harms that occur within the scope of their religious employment, even if unrelated to religious doctrine. This …

Off The Gridiron Conflict: Why The Nfl Should Use Mediation To Resolve Internal Disputes, Bryan Weitzman

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The National Football League (NFL) is a multibillion-dollar enterprise built on a sport that fundamentally depends on communication, cooperation, and collaboration. Yet the league resolves nearly all internal disputes through adversarial arbitration mechanisms embedded in the NFL Constitution and the NFL/NFL Players Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. This comment argues that the NFL’s exclusive reliance on arbitration is conceptually inconsistent with the values that the sport instills and structurally prejudicial to players, coaches, and employees—particularly where the Commissioner retains final arbitral authority. An examination of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) principles and case studies demonstrates how the NFL’s current internal dispute resolution …

Hiding Elephants In Mouseholes: Judicial (Mis)Application Of The Federal Arbitration Act To Attorney-Client Arbitration Agreements, Gregory L. Smith

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article criticizes cases and commentary that assume, without argument, that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) and its decidedly pro-arbitration jurisprudence apply to determine the enforceability of private attorney-client arbitration agreements, thus preempting state bar rules governing disclosures that lawyers must otherwise provide to clients when proposing private, binding arbitration in place of bar-sponsored arbitration regimes. The author argues that applying the FAA and its jurisprudence to attorney-client arbitration agreements raises significant constitutional issues regarding the states’ recognized authority to regulate the legal profession—an issue that courts and commentators have simply ignored.

Dispute Review Boards And The Construction Industry: The Song Remains The Same—Or Does It?, Daniel Mcmillan

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Dispute Review Boards (DRBs) are a unique form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) used on large and complex construction projects across the country. Although largely ignored by legal scholars, DRBs have been highly successful in resolving costly, time-consuming disputes involving hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of projects since their advent in 1975. DRBs are a hybrid form of ADR that combine facilitative and evaluative as well as coercive and non-coercive features of more common forms of ADR. But what actually makes DRBs so effective at dispute avoidance and resolution? This article analyzes: (i) the attributes that make DRBs an …

Evidentiary Practices In Arbitration: Need For A Minimum Framework, Krishnaja Olappamanna

Theses and Dissertations

Indian arbitration has emerged as a preferred method of dispute resolution, offering the benefits of flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and confidentiality over conventional litigation. Although this flexibility, more specifically in evidentiary matters, has brought procedural inconsistencies and uncertainties that detract from the enforceability of arbitral awards.

This is in line with Section 19 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1996, which prohibits arbitral tribunals from following the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 or the Code of Civil Procedure of 1908. While the provision allows procedural autonomy, it also brings with it an uncertainty in the evidentiary process of arbitrations, mostly when …

Who Invented It? Streamlining Determination Of Patent Inventorship, Henry H. Perritt, Jr.

University of Miami Law Review

Disputes over inventorship are common in industries where new technology is important. Patents are invalid unless correct inventors are named on the patent, even when all the inventors have assigned their rights to the enterprise applying for a patent. The complexity of modern technology is such that an invention qualifying for a patent rarely is the work of only one individual. Employees and former employees frequently claim that they have been left off patent applications wrongfully. Patent law provides a variety of ways to correct inventorship both while such applications are being prosecuted in the U. S. Patent and Trademark …

Is The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In Alternative Dispute Resolution A Viable Option Or Wishful Thinking?, Samuel D. Hodge Jr.

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article delves into the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and the legal profession, particularly in the context of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The introduction sets the stage by highlighting AI's transformative potential in reshaping legal practice through automation, efficiency, and data-driven insights. While acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding AI's long-term impact on the legal landscape, it emphasizes the need for investigation and adaptation as the technology evolves. Key considerations, such as AI technology's limitations, regulatory challenges, and ethical implications, are also addressed. Despite the promises of efficiency and accessibility, questions remain about AI's ability to replicate human reasoning and …

Alternative Dispute Resolution In Montana: A Catalog Of The Local Rules In Montana District Courts, Brianna Anderson, Brock Flynn

Student Scholarship

A catalog of the Local ADR Rules for the Montana Judicial District Courts, including rules about settlement conferences, mediation, and informal domestic relations trials.

"Bricolage" As Comparative Research Method For Critical Legislative Innovation, Marie-Claire Belleau

FIU Law Review

Comparative law incentivize imagination to create new solutions to social problems intrinsically linked to different parts of the world. It consists in the analysis of multiple legal solutions revealed by research. Meanwhile, the understanding of the documentation put forward is influenced by the social, cultural, linguistic, political, and economic context where it evolved in the first place. Consequently, the interpretation of those elements leads to varying results. In response to this reality, we offer a modest comparative methodology rooted in creativity inspired by the concept of “bricolage” for the purpose of legislative innovations. In light of some descriptive examples pertaining …

Collaborative Processes And Family Engagement, Kelly Browe Olson

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

From Healthcare To Hiring: Impacts Of Social And Public Policy On Disabled Veterans In The United States, Benjamin Michael Stoflet

Student Scholarship

The United States Government is struggling to fulfill commitments it has made to service members suffering from disabilities incurred during honorable service to the country. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation structure, job training programs, and methods of alternative dispute resolution is a patchwork resulting from decades of legislation creating a system where veterans often become locked in a complicated and often combative process to obtain benefits they have earned. Employers, advocacy groups, academics, and federal officials agree that there are systematic issues within the VA negatively impacting disabled veterans. These include a lack of patient-centered care, divergent …

The Use Of Alternative Dispute Resolution To Reduce The Perception Of Partiality In The Courts, In Order To Encourage International Entrepreneurship In Countries With National Ownership Requirements, Daniela Romagnoli

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Countries that require international entrepreneurs to have a national partner (national ownership requirements (NOR)) in order to open up a new venture within their borders, run the risk of becoming less desirable to do business in. One reason for this is that some investors and international entrepreneurs may be wary of possible conflict being solved in a court system that shows a positive bias towards its citizens. This paper looks at the experiences of five international entrepreneurs involved in small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya and explores how their experiences have become a warning to others who see potential …

Resolving Disputes Before They Decant: An Alternative Dispute Resolution System For Growers And Wine Producers, Savannah Billingham-Hemminger

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Arbitration Archetypes For Enhancing Access To Justice, Jill I. Gross

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

In the second half of the twentieth century, the use of arbitration proliferated in the United States as part of a greater alternative dispute resolution (ADR) movement, with the promise that using ADR processes would, among other things, enhance disputants' access to justice. Arbitration offers disputing parties a process to resolve their dispute, which, at least in theory, is known for decreased cost, increased speed, party control, privacy, and finality. These characteristics generally enhance parties' access to justice because, as compared to litigation, barriers to entry are lower, outcomes are delivered more quickly, substantive outcomes are more equitable, and parties …

Israeli Perspectives On Alternative Dispute Resolution And Justice, Omer Shapira

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Israel is a highly litigious country with an overburdened legal system infected with delays. In addition, Israeli society is highly diversified and saturated with social disagreements and rifts between groups. This article identifies two concepts of justice in ADR discourse in Israel—Justice as Efficiency and Justice Beyond Efficiency—and illustrates their application in the context of several ADR developments in the court system, community mediation, the education system, environmental conflicts, and complaints against public bodies. Using these visions of justice, the article explores the justice goals of ADR in Israel, assesses whether they have been achieved, and considers the future of …

Introduction, New Directions In Domestic And International Dispute Resolution, Karen L. Tokarz

Scholarship@WashULaw

This volume, New Directions in Domestic and International Dispute Resolution, continues a growing tradition of cutting-edge scholarship in the field of dispute resolution published by the Washington University Journal of Law and Policy, in collaboration with the Washington University School of Law Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Program. In recent years, the Journal has aspired to become a leading publisher of scholarship on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and has published many important articles by top legal educators and practitioners in the field.

Un Treaty On Mediation Signed In Singapore, Nadja Alexander, Shou Yu Chong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Singapore Convention on Mediation is a multilateral treaty which offers a legal framework facilitating the circulation of international mediated settlement agreements (iMSAs) across national borders. The Singapore Convention achieves this by elevating iMSAs to the status of a new type of legal instrument recognised in international law: neither a contract nor a consent arbitral award, iMSAs that fall within the scope of, and that satisfy the conditions within, the Singapore Convention enjoy a unique status. As outlined below, the new Convention establishes a system for the recognition and enforcement of commercial iMSAs. This report is a follow up to …

Ten Trends In International Mediation, Nadja Alexander

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In this essay, the author offers an international overview ofmediation developments in the 21st century and identifiescontemporary influences such as artificial intelligence andthird-party funding. With a focus on mediation ofcross-border disputes, the author identifies ten trends ininternational mediation. These include the changing profileof cross-border disputants and corresponding developmentsin international mediation practice and law. The role ofmediators and lawyers is analysed in the context of theprofessionalisation of the field through credentiallinginitiatives and the new specialisation of mediation advocacy.With the growing internationalisation of mediation, there hasbeen greater appreciation of diverse practice models and thecultural assumptions underpinning them. These developmentsare explored along with …

Enforcement Of International Settlement Agreements Resulting From Mediation Under The Singapore Convention – Private International Law Issues In Perspective, Shou Yu Chong, Felix Steffek

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article introduces the Singapore Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (“the Convention”). It discusses the enforcement of mediated settlement agreements under the Convention against the background of private international law. First, the Convention and its genesis are introduced. Second, the rationale and scope of the Convention are examined. Third, the Convention is placed in the context of private international law. Fourth, the requirements for enforcement of an international mediated settlement agreement (“IMSA”) under the Convention are laid out. Fifth, the grounds for refusal of judicial enforcement of IMSAs are examined. The article ends with a conclusion and …

The Media, A Polarized America & Adr Tools To Enhance Understanding Of Perspectives, Ginsey Varghese Kramarczyk

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article will survey: (1) the intended role of the media in a democracy; (2) the current polarized political climate in the United States; (3) the challenges facing the twenty-first century with the growth of technology, cable news, and online platforms; (4) the media's role in perpetuating conflict; and (5) propose that media professionals use Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) tools and processes to increase the public’s understanding of differing perspectives in our conflict-laden political discourse.

Finding A Forest Through The Trees: Georgia-Pacific As Guidance For Arbitration Of International Compulsory Licensing Disputes, Karen Mckenzie

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

This paper will examine the challenges of international compulsory licensing by examining the issue historically and legally as well as offer possible solutions. Thus, this paper will explore the challenge of balancing corporate interests against the affordability and availability of pharmaceuticals by focusing on discrete situations in developing countries, the history of compulsory licensing, and how the World Health Organization (the “WHO”) and the WTO have attempted to tackle these challenges through compulsory licensing, and it will suggest a possible framework for use in arbitration, which balances equities through a Georgia-Pacific analysis.