Alternative Dispute Resolution

Catalog description

The vast majority of lawsuits have always been resolved by a method other than trial. The last decades have witnessed the exponential increase of court-sponsored alternative dispute resolution programs, mainly court-ordered mediation and arbitration. This course will survey the more popular methods used to resolve disputes outside of litigation, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, fact-finding summary jury trial and mini-trials. Students will consider the legal and conceptual bases of these processes, and learn the role of the attorney and how these processes work from prominent guest speakers, class discussions, video demonstrations and simulation exercises. The course will place more emphasis on the process and practice of law.