From GFOI Jim Alfini:

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing to solicit your interest in having a get-together at 11:00 am on Friday, January 8, at Cardozo Law School.  The purpose of this meeting is to give those of us who teach dispute resolution courses and are attending the AALS meetings (or reside within reasonable traveling distance of New York City) an opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest, particularly in anticipation of the annual conference of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section, which, as you know, will be held in New York City in April.  Lela Love has been kind enough to get us a room at Cardozo, and she tells me that we should be able to order in pizza at noon, allowing us to either continue our discussions or turn it into a social occasion or both.  If you are attending the AALS meetings, Cardozo is a short cab or subway ride from the meeting hotels.

Although we are planning to make this an open meeting, I have conferred with Nancy Welsh (Chair-Elect of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section), and we are tentatively suggesting the following discussion topics:
(1) A more active role for the Dispute Resolution Section within the ABA to address policies and standards relating to legal education;
(2) Whether/how to engage legal academics more in the life and activities of the Section (e.g., webinars, annual Mediation Institute, annual Arbitration Institute, annual Negotiation Institute, input to various governmental entities, empirical research, white papers, etc.);
(3) Updating the Representation in Mediation competition;
(4) Updating the Legal Educators Colloquium, e.g. Shop-Talk and other conference programs; and
(5) What the Section can realistically do to increase the likelihood that your law school will support your engagement with the Section and will even provide financial support/sponsorship for the Section’s annual conference, institutes, Dispute Resolution Magazine, etc.

In connection with the first item, you may recall that Jennifer Reynolds and Art Hinshaw chaired a Dispute Resolution Section working group that led to changes in Standard 304(b) to permit the awarding of credit for mediation clinics.  We are considering turning this working group into a permanent committee.  If we do, what should be on its agenda?  How can you help us achieve that agenda?

Having said all this, nothing is set in stone. We would welcome your ideas for matters to be discussed.

Please respond by letting me know whether you will be able to attend this meeting so that we can arrange for ample space (and enough pizza). Even if you cannot attend, but have thoughts to share, we would certainly welcome your response as well.

I will follow up this message in a few weeks letting you know whether the response was significant enough to warrant having the meeting, and, if yes, more details about its location and how to get there.

Best wishes for the holiday season.

Jim Alfini

——-
James J. Alfini
Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law
South Texas College of Law