Last week, author Dan Solin, a long-time critic of FINRA, published a column in U.S. News & World Report attacking the FINRA arbitration forum as biased, unfair to investors and shrouded in secrecy.  Presumably, the column was motivated by a federal judge’s recent decision to deny a FOIA request that PIABA (Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association) filed with the SEC to … Continue reading George Friedman responds to Dan Solin’s indictment of FINRA arbitration →

The only people to whom the following is news are people who will not consider it news worth knowing, but I feel compelled to mention the unfortunate series of basketball games over the last two days, the results of which leave the NCAA tournament without a blogger’s team for which to cheer. Alas. MM   … Continue reading Blogging & Bad Basketball →

FOI Kristen Blankley (Nebraska) has posted “Advancements in Arbitral Immunity and Judicial Review of Arbitral Awards Create Ethical Loopholes in Arbitration” on SSRN. The paper was presented at a University of Nebraska Law and Psychology Symposium entitled: “Justice, Conflict, and Well-Being” and will appear later this year in a book of articles from the symposium. … Continue reading Blankley on Arbitration Ethics →

The Texas state legislature meets every other year for a five month term of frenzied law-making. This spring we are in the midst of one of these legislative sessions.  I recently learned of a proposed bill that involves restorative justice, which has some interesting pieces to it.  This bill, S.B. 1237 , expressly authorizes the … Continue reading Who will pay? Restorative Justice in Texas →

As part of the Israel trip, we met with different groups working on coexistance.  One group–Encounter–focuses on bringing American and Israeli Jews into the West Bank to meet with Palestinians.  They describe their work thus: Encounter provides the only oppor­tu­nity for main­stream American Jewish leaders to visit Palestinian terri­to­ries in the West Bank. On our … Continue reading Israel Reflections 2013–Encounter & Parent’s Circle →

Easily the worst part of the trip for me was at the beginning when one of my students was detained by Israeli immigration upon our entry to the country.  Although it was an experience that we had discussed as a possibility (she had visited grandparents in Pakistan and had the stamp in her passport), it still came … Continue reading Israel Reflections 2013–Too Muslim or Not Muslim Enough? →

Rishi Batra (Whittier) has just published Providing Dispute Resolution Expertise to the Community in the Winter 2013 issue of Dispute Resolution Magazine. From the introduction: As schools and other public institutions struggle for funding, law schools and their students have new opportunities to fill unmet needs by providing consulting expertise in facilitation and dispute resolution. … Continue reading Batra on Providing DR Expertise to the Community →

Much as I did in 2011, I will be posting some of the student reflections on the trip to Israel as the best way to reflect on the conflict.  I could brag about the students–what the students have learned, how being actually there is so important, how proud they made me with their insight and … Continue reading Israel Reflections 2013–Introduction to the Old City →

Article by that title in the National Law Journal about a week ago.  Available here.  Excerpted below. MM — Budget woes claim ADR program in Los Angeles By Amanda Bronstad   The National Law Journal March 13, 2013 To address an “extreme budget shortfall,” Los Angeles County, Calif., Superior Court plans to close its alternative dispute resolution … Continue reading “Budget Woes Claim ADR Program in Los Angeles” →