With great sadness, our field learned of the passing of Isabelle Gunning. Those of us at Indisputably felt that the most meaningful way to honor her life and legacy was to invite people who knew her well to share reflections with our community. We are especially grateful to   Sharon Press (Mitchell-Hamline) and Ellen Deason (Ohio State), who worked closely with Isabelle, for offering the remembrance that follows.

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We are honored and humbled to have been asked to share some words in memory of our dear friend and colleague, Isabelle Gunning, who passed away on March 28, 2026. She was the Mayor Tom Bradley Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. Her colleagues at Southwestern wrote this beautiful remembrance: https://www.swlaw.edu/IGunning

Isabelle will be remembered for her scholarly contributions to the field of dispute resolution and beyond, her leadership in resolving conflicts in Los Angeles, her dedication to her students, and especially for living her commitment to civil rights and social justice. Her impressive contributions to academic legal literature range as widely as her broad interests, including work on international human rights, clinical education, interviewing and counseling, feminism, race, and culture. Conflict resolution is a central theme, illustrated by such works as:

Diversity Issues in Mediation: Controlling the Impact of Negative Cultural Myths, 1995 Journal of Dispute Resolution 55 (1995).

Know Justice, Know Peace: Further Reflections on Justice, Equality and Impartiality in Settlement Oriented and Transformative Mediations, 5 Cardozo J. Conflict Resol. 87 (2004).

Justice For All in Mediation: What the Pandemic, Racial Justice Movement, and The Recognition of Structural Racism Call Us to Do As Mediators, 68 Washington Univ. Journal of Law & Policy 35 (2022).

Here are some of the memories from colleagues:

• Isabelle was steadfast in reminding us of mediation’s potential to be about more than settlement of individual disputes.  I am reminded of her call at one of our symposia for us to go back and “fetch” the understanding of mediation as part of a political, social, and cultural movement for democratic empowerment and systemic change. Nancy Welsh
• Isabelle was a wonderful scholar and an even better human being. May she rest in power. Erin Archerd
• She was a dear soul and a good friend for decades. She worked tirelessly for things she believed in. She will be missed.  She made so many contributions to our field, to LA, to advocacy and to civil rights!! Carrie Menkle-Meadow
• Isabelle was an inspiration to many of us. She left a wonderful legacy. Jim Alfini
• Isabelle was an early and articulate exponent of the role of implicit bias in the mediation process, arguing for mechanisms to “control cultural myths” that might disadvantage already vulnerable parties. Her work was important in moving the field beyond cheer-leading toward increasingly nuanced recognitions of social context and unconscious stereotypes. She was a trail-blazer in so many ways! Ellen Waldman

We also wanted to share some personal reflections. Isabelle was a private person and extraordinarily humble. Some of you may know that after we published our Embedded Whiteness article, Isabelle joined us in thinking through the practical implications of the issues we raised. What started as a scheduled time for us to talk about our respective work turned into regular zoom meetings every two weeks. Over several years, we not only debated issues, critiqued drafts, and prepared for presentations; we shared the ups and downs of life—we talked about current events, we talked about family, and trips we were taking. We laughed and cried together—and in the process grew close. These meetings continued until she became ill and was no longer able to meet with us. The opportunities we had to see each other in person and connect at conferences were precious and all too few. As a practitioner, I (Sharon) can report that her insights changed (and improved) my practice of mediation. And I (Ellen) can report that her perspectives greatly expanded and deepened my understanding of ways to work with conflict and social issues. We both feel very privileged that Isabelle shared so much of her wisdom with us.

These two “white chicks” as she called us, will remember her passion, clarity, and dedication to making the world more just.