Category Archives: General

OSU’s DCP Releases Second Guide to Advance Race Equity Initiatives

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law’s Divided Community Project (DCP) in collaboration with OSU’s Mershon Center for International Security Studies released the second edition of a dispute systems design-centered guide for communities advancing racial equity initiatives. Titled A Practical Guide to Planning Collaborative Initiatives to Advance Racial Equity (2nd ed. 2022) (available at … Continue reading OSU’s DCP Releases Second Guide to Advance Race Equity Initiatives →

The New Nigerian Bill on Arbitration & Mediation: Lessons for the Singapore Convention?

After several attempts over many years, on 10 May 2022 the Nigerian Parliament passed a new Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Bill (H.B. 91).  The Bill is currently awaiting signature of the President, at which time it will become law.  If enacted, it is set to replace Nigeria’s Arbitration and Conciliation Act, originally enacted in 1988. … Continue reading The New Nigerian Bill on Arbitration & Mediation: Lessons for the Singapore Convention? →

Real Mediators’ Real Mediation Models

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Mediation theory generally focuses on models of mediation procedures.  While prescribed procedures obviously can be important factors affecting mediators’ behavior, traditional mediation theories are major oversimplifications that often don’t reflect the reality of how mediators actually think and act.  Many mediators agree with this critique, but these theoretical concepts still are widely used without much … Continue reading Real Mediators’ Real Mediation Models →

What Does Rowing Across the Pacific Have To Do With Dispute Resolution?

In case you haven’t been keeping up with the news, on Monday, July 25, a four-woman rowing team arrived in Hawaii, 34 days after leaving San Francisco, setting a new record.  As someone who gets motion sick looking at boats, it is hard to imagine spending over a month rowing across the Pacific Ocean in … Continue reading What Does Rowing Across the Pacific Have To Do With Dispute Resolution? →

Shestowsky’s Study Supports Value of Lawyers’ Early Education of Clients About Their Procedural Options

For a long time, Donna Shestowsky has conducted empirical studies of litigants’ perceptions about dispute resolution processes.  CPR’s Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation magazine just published an article summarizing her study about parties’ expectations about the process used to resolve their cases.  The article is Why Client Expectations of Legal Procedures Must Be … Continue reading Shestowsky’s Study Supports Value of Lawyers’ Early Education of Clients About Their Procedural Options →

Humor Theory for When Everything Seems Like it is Going to Hell

Mediators have long recognized that they can use humor to help disputants deal with conflict (though it can really backfire). What about using humor when it seems like the world is going to hell? In her essay, Please Laugh About My Abortion With Me, comedian Alison Leiby describes experiences with her comedy show “Oh God, … Continue reading Humor Theory for When Everything Seems Like it is Going to Hell →

Is the World Really Falling Apart, or Does It Just Feel That Way?

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? →