Brad Heckman, CEO of the New York Peace Institute, will deliver the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University’s Annual Lawrence Lecture on Dispute Resolution during the lunch hour on September 28 in Moritz’s Saxbe Auditorium. For more information or to register go to go.osu.edu/Lawrence2017.

Brad’s lecture “Mediation on the Beat: Bringing Conflict Resolution Skills to Police Departments”, will explore his experience training hundreds of officers in the New York Police Department in mediation and dispute resolution as part of a program designed to rebuild civilian-police relationships. The NYPD is working to hard-wire mediation skills into police training, and develop a vibrant partnership between community mediation centers and police precincts. Brad will highlight the challenges in training law enforcement during deeply divided times and discuss which mediation tactics are most useful in peacefully deescalating conflicts between police and civilians.

Every fall Moritz hosts the Lawrence Lecture along with the intramural Lawrence Negotiation Competition, named for Moritz alum and Moritz and University of Cincinnati negotiation professor James K.L. Lawrence. Jim has given generously of his time, talent, guidance and resources to Moritz and our Program on Dispute Resolution over the years, so it is perfectly fitting that this expanded educational enterprise with Negotiation at its core be conducted in his name.