Jean Sternlight and one of my students sent me this link from Sesame Street in which Justice Sotomayor engages in some “dispute resolution”. Seems more like evaluative mediation to me. Very amusing!
Goldilocks Avoids Criminal Sanction When Sotomayor Judges Dispute on Sesame Street
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/goldilocks_avoids_criminal_sanction_when_sotomayor_judges_dispute_on_sesame/
I found it interesting that Justice Sotomayor had Baby Bear address her as “Justice” even though she was supposed to be engaging in dispute resolution, because this designation seemed to frame her as a decision-maker for this dispute. J. Sotomayor seemed to be engaging in some very evaluative mediation. In fact it was so evaluative the parties seemed to have no say or control over either the process or the solution.
I find it odd that one of our Supreme Court justices, when given a chance to enlighten children and their caretakers in the basics of mediation, would behave like a judge rather than a mediator!