That’s the title of an article by New York Times reporter Max Fisher. He summarizes, “By most measures – with one glaring exception – people around the world are better off than ever. So why doesn’t it feel that way, especially to Americans?” Scanning the headlines, it’s easy to conclude that something has broken. The … Continue reading Is the World Really Falling Apart, or Does It Just Feel That Way?
As an annual tradition, this is a reminder of some of my favorite things you might use in your courses as you plan for next academic year. Here’s a post suggesting how you can teach students to use more realistic, thorough, and practical models of negotiation and mediation than we traditionally teach. Here’s a message … Continue reading Readings and Resources for Teaching
Princeton sociology professor Paul Starr wrote an essay in the Washington Post, Conservatives Hope to Turn Back the Cultural Clock. Can They Succeed? He writes that “[r]etrofuturism is a term for imaginative works that envision a future out of the past,” and he compares the Supreme Court’s abortion and other recent decisions to “prohibition and … Continue reading Retrofuturism on the Supreme Court
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie is an avid reader with a particular interest in American history. In today’s column, he describes various books he has been reading lately. Two of the books are relevant to the recent audacious decisions by the Supreme Court majority to radically redirect legal doctrine by using dubious jurisprudential methods. … Continue reading What Jamelle Bouie is Reading
From Donna Shestowsky: Parties who used online dispute resolution (ODR) for child custody, parenting time or child support matters in Ottawa County, Michigan, were more likely to reach agreement and to rate their experience highly as those who were offered ODR but didn’t use it, a new study by UC Davis Professor of Law Donna Shestowsky … Continue reading Study of ODR in Family Cases with Positive Results
I just watched the incredibly heartwarming Netflix TV series, Heartstopper. It focuses on the relationship between two teenaged high school students in England who are grappling with their sexuality. Charlie is a nerdy guy who had come out as gay and Nick is the star of the rugby team who comes to realize that he … Continue reading A Heartwarming TV Series
That’s the title of an article in the New York Times. It reports that “[s]ame-sex couples, on average, resolve conflict more constructively than different-sex couples, and with less animosity, studies have shown.” It cites researchers suggesting ideas that our field generally recommends including: Using humor to defuse anger Staying calm Being mindful of the other’s … Continue reading Gay Couples Can Teach Straight People a Thing or Two About Arguing
My recent piece about introversion seems to have struck a nerve. It stimulated the most – and most intense – reactions to any of my posts. Several people emphatically identified with it, saying that they felt that it was about them. I’m sure a lot of other readers felt that way too. Introversion is a … Continue reading Coming Out as Introverted
Do you often feel introverted, generally preferring to be in a small group of trusted friends than in a large gathering, for example? It turns out that there are a lot of people who feel that way. Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, cites studies … Continue reading Introversion, the Legal Profession, and Dispute Resolution
The ABA has published three books by Brooklyn Law Professor and Director of Legal Writing Heidi K. Brown to help law students and lawyers improve their well-being and function optimally. It just released The Flourishing Lawyer: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Performance and Well-Being (2022). She previously published The Introverted Lawyer: A Seven-Step Journey Toward Authentically … Continue reading Heidi Brown’s Books Promoting Flourishing and Effective Practitioners
