Tag Archives: BATNA

Real Practice Systems Project Annotated Bibliography

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Gary Doernhoefer, the founder of ADR Notable, suggested that I produce a bibliography for its users.  ADR Notable is an app providing case management software to help mediators handle case intake, bill clients, manage client documents, develop checklists and task reminders, take notes, build documents, and manage client relationships generally. Gary recognized that our respective … Continue reading Real Practice Systems Project Annotated Bibliography →

Teaching Students to Focus on Party Decision-Making

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I was thrilled that my recent post, Focus on Party Decision-Making, prompted a stimulating conversation on the DRLE listserv, including thoughtful comments by Mary Bedikian, Doug Frenkel, Dwight Golann, Deborah Hensler, Charlie Irvine, Andrew Mamo, Cash Nickerson, Peter Philips, Jim Stark, Jean Sternlight, Nancy Welsh, and Roselle Wissler. This post discusses some issues in the … Continue reading Teaching Students to Focus on Party Decision-Making →

If You Had Only One Hour to Describe ADR, What Would You Say?

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This was the question I had to answer when planning a lecture.  I was a speaker in a course offered by the Universidad Monteavila in Caracas, Venezuela.  My wonderful colleague, Rafael Gely, organized this collaboration with Missouri’s DR Center to provide a series of speakers, including me. My Venezuelan colleague told me that I could … Continue reading If You Had Only One Hour to Describe ADR, What Would You Say? →

Appreciation of Doug Frenkel and Jim Stark

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Jim Stark and Doug Frenkel just became scholars-in-residence with the International Academy of Mediators, following in the footsteps of Hal Abramson, Lela Love, and Dwight Golann. I have appreciated Doug and Jim’s work – actually of all the SiRs – and this post describes some of the things I appreciate about it.  It also includes … Continue reading Appreciation of Doug Frenkel and Jim Stark →

LIRA Videos Out the Wazoo!!

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Everyone knows that lawyers should carefully assess their cases at the earliest appropriate time.  In cases that are or might be litigated, lawyers often focus primarily or exclusively on estimating the expected court outcome (aka the BATNA value). The LIRA book provides guidance for more thorough and systematic case assessments, including values for tangible costs … Continue reading LIRA Videos Out the Wazoo!! →

Transactional Interest and Risk Assessment

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By definition, the LIRA book, which provides a framework for litigation interest and risk assessment, focuses on litigation. This post describes how it can be adapted for transactional negotiation – transaction interest and risk assessment, or TIRA. Three Elements The LIRA framework consists of assessment of three elements:  expected court outcome, future tangible costs of … Continue reading Transactional Interest and Risk Assessment →

What’s a Bottom Line?

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Everyone knows that a bottom line in a lawsuit is an immutable “line in the sand” that is accurately reported to mediators and counterparts as the least that a plaintiff would accept or most that a defendant would pay. Not really.  During the life cycle of a case, lawyers start with vague and tentative bottom … Continue reading What’s a Bottom Line? →

BATNA May Be Less Important Than You Think – and Teach

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Everyone loves BATNA.  It has more than 16 million hits on Google. I have loved BATNA too.  Of course, people should consider alternatives to a negotiated agreement when negotiating or mediating. Unfortunately, people have loved BATNA so much that it has become a cliché that is widely misunderstood, even by some dispute resolution experts. When … Continue reading BATNA May Be Less Important Than You Think – and Teach →

BATNAs and the Emotional Pains from “Positional Negotiation”

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If you have problems with BATNA theory (best alternative to negotiated agreement), you aren’t the only one.  Some people have privately shared their concerns with me, and I suspect that there are a lot of others who are “in the closet” and don’t express their concerns publicly because BATNAs are so widely taken for granted … Continue reading BATNAs and the Emotional Pains from “Positional Negotiation” →

BATNA’s Got to Go — and Here’s a Better Idea

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In a recent DRLE listserv colloquy, I threatened to save for another day an extended rant about why we are so doggone attracted to using confusing jargon.  That day has arrived. What’s Wrong with BATNA and All the Other ATNAs? My mania was stimulated by an exchange of listserv posts about the use of BATNA … Continue reading BATNA’s Got to Go — and Here’s a Better Idea →