From our friends at the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program: On November 5, 2016, the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program (HNMCP) at Harvard Law School celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a public symposium that was both retrospective and prospective, addressing the clinic’s foundational focus on dispute systems design, as well as looking at the role of facilitation and political dialogue.
The symposium was hosted by Robert (Bob) Bordone ‘97, Thaddeus R. Beal Clinical Professor of Law and Director of HNMCP and Rachel Viscomi ‘01, Assistant Director and Clinical Instructor at HNMCP and featured remarks, panel discussions, an artistic performance and facilitated discussion. It concluded with a celebratory dinner that brought together ADR practitioners, former clinic clients, students, and staff from the past decade.
The symposium opened with remarks from the Morgan and Helen Chu Dean of Harvard Law School, Martha Minow, who commended the program’s focus on creative thinking and uniquely designed solutions that address the systemic nature of problems. Remarking on the symbolism in the clinic’s logo and mission, Dean Minow said, “Everybody in this room understands that having a bridge from what’s hard to what’s promising and having a bridge that connects people; that connects a problem to a solution; having a bridge that actually connects theory to practice—that’s what the effort is.”
During the past 10 years, HNMCP has grown from a handful of students pursuing independent clinical work, to a robust program of global clinical work in dispute systems design, innovative pedagogy around teamwork, and expanded course offerings in multiparty negotiation, group decision-making, teams, and facilitation. Today, HNMCP counts 260 current and former students and 84 clients from the U.S. and around the world. Courses offered by HNMCP have also expanded to include deeper dives into advanced skills such as multi-party negotiation and facilitation.
Read the full story, watch the Living History Video, and see pictures of the event here.
