I have known Colin Rule for more than twenty years. During that time, I knew that he had done a lot of impressive things in ODR and that he’s a real mensch. What I didn’t appreciate until recently was the extraordinary breadth of his work, the depth of his thinking, and how much he has … Continue reading I Knew Colin Rule Was Impressive. But I Didn’t Know the Half of It.
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
For a forthcoming article about law school mediation courses, I developed a list of key values and principles that I think people in our field generally share. They are about the roles of practitioners – including both mediators and attorneys – when working with clients in mediation. Faculty can advocate them in any mediation course … Continue reading Shared Values and Principles in Mediation
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
When Someone You Love Is Upset, Ask This One Question, writes New York Times “wellness columnist” Jancee Dunn. It’s a helpful question for almost anyone – including colleagues, students, and clients – even if you don’t love them. This question can give people a sense of control, which they may really appreciate, especially when they … Continue reading Do You Want to Be Helped, Heard or Hugged?
My colleague, Ilhyung Lee, pointed me to another graduation speech highlighting the importance of generally listening respectfully to and engaging with people we disagree with. He sent me a link to a speech by University of Chicago Law Professor Tom Ginsburg, entitled “Conversation and Democracy.” I had cited Bret Stephen’s speech and Jen Reynolds linked … Continue reading What We Do Is So Important
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens was the commencement speaker at the University of Chicago, and he published his speech, Go Forth and Argue. Arguing may seem like the antithesis of negotiation and mediation. But it’s not – at least not if we sincerely listen to others with differing views, are open to reconsidering our … Continue reading Go Forth and Argue
I recently posted a short article you might want to read, The Importance of Really Listening – For Ourselves, Others, and Democracy. Here’s the abstract. This article discusses how listening carefully can help others and ourselves and is important for healthy democratic processes. Relying on Kathryn Schulz’s book, Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of … Continue reading The Importance of Really Listening – For Ourselves, Others, and Democracy
I just posted this short article using memoirs by and/or about five women to illustrate common patterns of conflict. The books describe women throughout the life cycle in different eras and places. Reading people’s stories can help us to “look through others’ eyes” to learn about worlds we do not know and to help us understand … Continue reading Tales of Five Women
New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote a touching essay about his reactions to a lifelong friend’s struggle with depression and ultimate suicide. Mr. Brooks gave Pete advice about how to deal with his depression – and found that his efforts were counterproductive. It’s only later that I read that when you give a depressed … Continue reading The Gift of Really Listening
