All posts by John Lande

Two Short Articles Proposing Courses Teaching Preparation and Advocacy in Dispute Resolution

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It’s not breaking news that law school graduates generally have difficulty working with clients, don’t understand the “big picture” of client matters, and aren’t well trained in negotiation. The problem for law students and law schools is exacerbated by the transition to the NextGen bar exam and a movement in various states to use alternative … Continue reading Two Short Articles Proposing Courses Teaching Preparation and Advocacy in Dispute Resolution →

Help Wanted: Director of Workplace Relations

From Ava Abramowitz: The DC Circuit of the US Court of Appeals is looking for a new director of workplace relations. The director provides confidential and impartial assistance to judges and court employees, including Federal Public Defender’s Office employees, on workplace conduct matters. The director works closely with the Employment Dispute Resolution Coordinators (EDRCs) to … Continue reading Help Wanted: Director of Workplace Relations →

If You Will Teach a Law School Mediation Course This Fall, Read This Article Right Away

Are you going to teach a law school mediation course this fall? If so, I suggest that you read It’s Time to Make Important Upgrades to Our Mediation Curriculum right away. It’s also relevant to ADR survey, negotiation, and lawyering courses. The article includes numerous suggestions and links to handy resources that you can incorporate … Continue reading If You Will Teach a Law School Mediation Course This Fall, Read This Article Right Away →

Oxymorons R Us

This 4-page article riffs on comments at a program at the recent ABA Section of Dispute Resolution conference to illustrate how oxymoronic the terms “facilitative,” “evaluative,” and “empowerment” have become. When people use these terms, we kinda, sorta, probably think we know what they mean. But we don’t really know. The article suggests ways that … Continue reading Oxymorons R Us →

Jacqueline Font-Guzmán Takes New Position at St. Catherine University

St. Catherine University in St. Paul hired Jacqueline Font-Guzmán to serve in the inaugural role of senior vice president of equity and belonging, beginning August 1.  She currently serves as the inaugural vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion  and a tenured professor at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University in … Continue reading Jacqueline Font-Guzmán Takes New Position at St. Catherine University →

A Snapshot of How Mediators Use Technology These Days

I recently gave a presentation about how mediators use technology in their practices.  The program was organized by the Technology and Mediation Committees of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution and co-sponsored by seven other committees. I’m sure no tech expert but I used the program to collect data from practitioners who use technology in … Continue reading A Snapshot of How Mediators Use Technology These Days →

Oregon’s Alternative Pathway to the Bar Proves Popular

Here are excerpts from an article in the ABA Journal: Oregon’s new Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination that allows ABA-accredited law school graduates to join the state’s bar by working closely with a supervising attorney instead of taking the bar exam is gaining traction with candidates and potential employers. … The additional pathway allows applicants to … Continue reading Oregon’s Alternative Pathway to the Bar Proves Popular →

Preparing Law Students for Real-World Practice

This short article summarizes a program entitled Pracademically Speaking:  Incorporating Real-World Legal Practice Into the Curriculum at the Legal Educators Colloquium during the annual conference of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution.  Debra Berman and Denise Peterson (South Texas College of Law Houston) and I gave the presentations. The article describes problems with legal curricula, … Continue reading Preparing Law Students for Real-World Practice →

ABA Adopts Policy Encouraging Early Dispute Resolution

At its midyear meeting, the ABA House of Delegates unanimously approved Resolution 500, which states: That the American Bar Association urges lawyers and all interested parties to increase the informed and voluntary use of Early Dispute Resolution: party-directed, non-adjudicative approaches to resolve disputes in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner, including, but not limited to, direct … Continue reading ABA Adopts Policy Encouraging Early Dispute Resolution →

Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Mediation Skills

This short article uses Real Practice Systems (RPS) theory to identify things that mediators can do to improve their mediation skills. Mediators can begin by recognizing that they have a complex mediation practice system if they mediate regularly.  The article includes links to a short video and articles to help them understand their unique systems. … Continue reading Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Mediation Skills →