Yesterday you may have seen the flurry of listserv activity on SMU’s upcoming program entitled Prejudice and Its Impact on Alternative Dispute Resolution, with Richard Delgado (Alabama) as its keynote speaker. As many of you know, he was the lead author on an early and important mediation critique, Fairness and Formality: Minimizing the Risk of Prejudice in Alternative Dispute Resolution, 1985 Wis. L. Rev. 1359. The conference announcement describes the proceedings as follows:
In his foundational article,Fairness and Formality: Minimiz
ing the Risk of Prejudice in Alternative Dispute Resolution,
Professor Delgado and his co-authors identified major concerns with the growing use ofalternative dispute resolution (ADR) to resolve disputes involving people of color and women. This
article,which has been cited more than 300 times, contributed to a swell of robust critiques concerning informal dispute resolution and the assessment of its impact on those with little power in our society. More than 30 years after the publication of this article,
this Symposium with Professor Delgado willreflect on his earlier comments and provide an update to his article.
The program, which has a stellar lineup (agenda here), looks great. Kudos to SMU for putting together what looks like an outstanding event.
