Report from AALS Works-in-Progress/Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution Symposium

We just completed our annual Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution Annual Symposium, which this year also served as the AALS Sixth Annual Works-in-Progress Conference. I thought the conference was a great success! As Art mentioned, we had many wonderful presentations (some of which – our “new voices,” highlighting young scholars working in the dispute … Continue reading Report from AALS Works-in-Progress/Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution Symposium

George Friedman, longtime Director of Dispute Resolution at FINRA, to retire at end of year

George Friedman has been a top executive at FINRA Dispute Resolution since he joined its predecessor NASD fourteen years ago in 1998.  Currently Executive Vice President and Director of Dispute Resolution, Mr. Friedman recently announced he will retire at the end of this year. George has been a stellar leader of FINRA’s arbitration program, among other roles, … Continue reading George Friedman, longtime Director of Dispute Resolution at FINRA, to retire at end of year

Supreme Court grants certiorari in important arbitration case

Yesterday the Supreme Court granted the petition for a writ of certiorari in American Express Co. v. Italian Colors Restaurant, No. 12-133, 2012 WL 3096737 (U.S. Nov. 9, 2012), to decide the following question presented:  “Whether the Federal Arbitration Act permits courts, invoking the ‘federal substantive law of arbitrability,’ to invalidate arbitration agreements on the ground … Continue reading Supreme Court grants certiorari in important arbitration case

Greetings from the Works-in-Progress Conference

I’m sitting here the WIP Conference and it’s been a fabulous day so far.  I say that because there  have been some fantastic presentations, and at this point (mid-afternoon) two that have stood out were from Jen Reynolds (propaganda, persuasion, manipulation, and how we teach negotiation) and Ken Kressel (tacit knowledge of mediators).  At this point I’m not … Continue reading Greetings from the Works-in-Progress Conference

Sleeping with (or Being Related to) the Enemy

My friend and colleague Sheila Heen, co-author of the well-known book, Difficult Conversations, just wrote a wonderful column for the New York Times, entitled Sleeping with the (Political) Enemy, all about how she and her husband John Richardson (also a negotiation and conflict resolution expert) manage to communicate about their vast political differences.  I read it … Continue reading Sleeping with (or Being Related to) the Enemy

Watching the Vote

The international community, through a number of organizations, regularly observes elections in countries around the world.  Election observation is one method of preventing election disputes from evolving into violent conflict, particularly in countries with less developed or less trusted judicial systems.  The hope is that election observation by neutral outsiders will provide a peaceful forum … Continue reading Watching the Vote