Our friends at Pepperdine will be hosting a conference entitled Teaching Law School ADR Classes: Mediation, Negotiation, Arbitration and the ADR Overview Course on June 21-22, 2011.  The conference line up looks great with heavyweights like Carrie Menkel–Meadow, Len Riskin, and Nancy Rogers (to name a few), and the programming is both comprehensive and in-depth.  This may … Continue reading Teaching Law School ADR Classes →

At Ohio State University, we are excited to announce a search for an endowed chair in peace studies and conflict resolution at our world-renown Mershon Center: The Mershon Center for International Security Studies at the Ohio State University is seeking candidates to fill an endowed Chair in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. The holder of … Continue reading Mershon Center for International Security at Ohio State University Seeks Candidates for Endowed Chair in Conflict Resolution →

For those who coach or advise dispute resolution competition teams, the Hugh L. Carey Center for Dispute Resolution and FINRA will host the third annual Securities Dispute Resolution Triathlon at St. John’s University’s Manhattan campus on October 15-16, 2011. This competition is unique in that it requires students to negotiate, mediate, and arbitrate in one … Continue reading Securities Dispute Resolution Triathlon – Early Bird Deadline June 1 →

Last weekend a woman was arrested for disorderly conduct after allegedly talking for sixteen hours while in the “quiet car” on an Amtrak train from Oakland, California to Salem, Oregon.  I have to admit my first reaction to this news was shock that anyone could talk for sixteen hours.  But, assuming the facts are as they … Continue reading Cell Phone Court? →

Thanks to Professor Rick Bales at Workplace Prof Blog for this tip — Senator Al Franken has, as expected, reintroduced the Arbitration Fairness Act. See Franken re-introduces AFA: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/laborprof_blog/2011/05/afa-re-introduced.html While I am not suprised by the Act’s reintroduction, its broad coverage, eliminating pre-dispute arbitration agreements for consumer, franchise and employment disputes, is not headed for … Continue reading Franken Reintroduces Arbitration Fairness Act →

LimeWire was the most recent file-sharing service to incur the wrath of the recording industry. The industry sued and pursued its outrageous claims (it originally sought more than one trillion dollars in damages) to trial. Midway through trial, the parties settled the case for $105 million following a successful mediation. What’s interesting about that is … Continue reading Recording Industry Can Use ADR After All →

As Art mentioned yesterday, the Supreme Court, in CompuCredit Corp. v. Greenwood, 79 U.S.L.W. 3442, 2011 WL 220683 (U.S. May 2, 2011), agreed to decide next term the following Question Presented: “Whether claims arising under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1679 et seq., are subject to arbitration pursuant to a valid arbitration … Continue reading Supreme Court Grants Cert to Decide Arbitrability of Federal Claim →

The Oregon Law Review is doing a call for papers for a special ADR-themed issue — “ADR for the Masses” — that addresses some of the challenges and issues inherent in using appropriate/alternative dispute resolution processes in large-scale contexts, including mass torts, mass settlements, collaborative governance, and organizational DSD (not an exhaustive list).   The call for … Continue reading Call for Papers – ADR and the Masses →

My St. John’s colleague Adam Zimmerman has published two new articles addressing the growing use of large funds to compensate groups of victims. In Distributing Justice, 86 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 500 (2011) (http://ssrn.com/abstract=1827082) he explores the procedural concerns that arise when regulatory agencies like the SEC, FTC, or FDA, mimic private aggregate settlements by collecting … Continue reading Zimmerman on Mass Settlements →

The end of the semester is marked by a few milestones including student evaluations.  I thought some might enjoy the Onion’s perspective on this process, see  here .  Thanks to the International Law Prof Blog for finding and posting this article.