Author Archives: abfifer

Thoughts on Mediator Disclosures

January 6, 2020 – 8:26 pm

A Michigan mediator was hauled before the Attorney Grievance Commission for failing to disclose the full extent of her social relationship with one party’s attorney in a divorce case she mediated and arbitrated. I wrote up some thoughts about it, and the Michigan Dispute Resolution ADR Journal published them in their recent Fall 2019 issue, […]

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Nursing a Grievance, Resolved

December 17, 2019 – 4:15 pm

A woman in Brighton MI has settled a dispute with her church regarding breast-feeding at church. I wrote about this shortly after the incident occurred last year, hoping the parties would resolve this by acknowledging one another’s interests, in accordance with Philippians 2:3-4. Instead, it sounds like they resolved it the typical American way, by filing […]

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Pastor-Church Conflicts Don’t Belong in Court

October 26, 2019 – 4:02 pm

Sad to read about the ongoing conflict between James Flakes and his former church, New Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist. Mr. Flakes served as its part-time pastor for several years, until he was terminated in 2017, which he evidently deemed unfair. Rather than resolve their differences within the church, as St. Paul exhorts Christians to do […]

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Forgiving a Killer: Tearful Courtroom

October 3, 2019 – 3:35 pm

An amazing thing occurred at the sentencing for former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger yesterday: the brother of the man she shot forgave her. Ms. Guyger was convicted of murder after she shot and killed Botham Jean in his apartment, mistakenly thinking he was an intruder in her apartment. During the sentencing hearing, the victim’s […]

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Endorsing Apologies in Mediation

August 23, 2019 – 4:33 pm

This article notes the risks of apologies but also that they can be handled deftly in mediation. It’s well worth a read.

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