On Friday afternoon, I gave a presentation to the Association of Missouri Mediators (AMM) about AI and RPS Coach. I zipped through my powerpoint to make time for a live demo of RPS Coach. I developed these follow-up materials you might want to check out, including links to: The slides and chat transcript from the … Continue reading Zoom and the Evolution of Professional Gatherings
At the recent AALS ADR Section WIP Conference, I led a focus group to explore how faculty are using – and thinking about using – AI in their courses. The participants shared a range of thoughtful insights, revealing both enthusiasm and caution. Their responses offered a snapshot of what experimentation with AI looks like now, … Continue reading Teaching with AI: Faculty Reflections and a Preview of Professors’ Dilemma
Many colleagues at the AALS ADR Section Works-in-Progress Conference focused on various aspects of artificial intelligence (AI). Their papers included the following: The Bots are Coming: How Can Law Professors Stay One Step Ahead?, Hal Abramson (Touro) Detecting and Challenging AI Drafted Arbitration Awards, Rishi Batra (McGeorge) Data Resolution: How AI Agents Change Conflict, Simon … Continue reading AI at the WIP
Imagine you’re a mediator and someone tells you what’s troubling them. They’re deeply upset about a product they believe poses serious risks. They cite past harms, question whether it should ever have been introduced, and urge that it be removed from the market or tightly restricted. The product is already in widespread use, integrated into … Continue reading Thinking Like Mediators About the Future of AI
Professor Carli N. Conklin has been named Director of the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution (CSDR) at the University of Missouri School of Law. She succeeds Professor Ilhyung Lee, who served as the Center’s director from 2019 to 2025. Carli brings a rich blend of scholarly insight, historical perspective, and teaching excellence to … Continue reading Carli Conklin Succeeds Ilhyung Lee as Director of Missouri’s Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution
Many of the people we admire for their work on dispute resolution aren’t formally part of the dispute resolution community. They include lawyers, judges, law professors, and others whose work embodies the spirit of our field – even when they use different language, work in other disciplines, or serve in different roles. Some time ago, … Continue reading You Really Should Know About John Inazu
We all know that it’s bad to be biased, right? Wrong. That assumption is its own bad bias. Biases are inevitable – in humans and bots alike. Some biases are harmful. Others are helpful. Many are neutral. But bias itself is unavoidable. So bias isn’t a problem in itself. Pretending otherwise is. This post describes … Continue reading RPS Coach is Biased – And Proud of It
“The mediation failed.” This statement implies that reaching agreement is the only measure of success. It also implies that the mediation process failed, not that the parties made a legitimate decision not to settle during a mediation session. When you hear someone say that, does smoke come out of your ears? Do you get hot … Continue reading How You Can Speak Dispute Resolution Well
On October 30, 2024, Debra Berman posted a message on the DRLE listserv encouraging colleagues to drop the word “alternative” from “ADR.” Her post quickly prompted 24 responses. As usual, people were respectful, appreciative, collaborative, and funny even as they expressed differing views. This was one of our best discussions, and I wish we had … Continue reading Choosing to Use Good Language in the “ADR” Field
Last week, University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law named Michael T. Colatrella Jr. as its new dean effective July 1. Many of us know Michael, who hosted the AALS WIP conference last fall. He is the inaugural Tracy A. Eglet Chair in Alternative Dispute Resolution. He joined McGeorge in 2009 as an assistant … Continue reading Michael Colatrella Named Dean of McGeorge School of Law
