From my colleague, S.I. Strong:
Young OGEMID will be hosting its next “virtual symposium” as of March 20, and you may want to sign up (if you are untenured) or pass the information along to your students. This one is interdisciplinary in nature and should be quite interesting. More information shows below on the topic and on how to sign up for YO.
Free Virtual Young-OGEMID symposium: Alt-Facts and the Post-Truth Society Through an Arbitral Lens (Starts March 20th 2017).
Lawyers often think that they’re dealing in facts, but the reality is that they are dealing with perceptions – perceptions of facts, of people, of events. What happens when those perceptions are wrong? Traditionally, lawyers have framed the issue as an information deficit and provided more information. However, empirical research has shown that some misperceptions become more pronounced the more opponents seek to set the record straight. What’s a lawyer to do?
The fifth YO virtual symposium considers that issue directly through interdisciplinary analysis. Experts in political science, psychology, neuroscience and communications theory and practice will discuss how to deal with pervasive misconceptions in a variety of settings that are relevant to the practice of international dispute resolution. The event will begin on Monday, March 20, and run through Wednesday, March 29.
More information (including free to download reports of previous symposia) and registration here.
(Membership is only meant for students and (junior) associates, not for seasoned professionals – should you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us – membership is free)
This reminds me of a line from the movie, “Sneakers,” which I can paraphrase:
“Decisions aren’t made based on reality, but the perception of reality.”
I think trial attorneys understand this very well. If it were only about the real facts, we wouldn’t need lawyers, would we? It takes a lot of skill and practice to be able to present a client’s story in the more persuasive way possible.