I have always used the words “conflict” and “dispute” inter-changeably. The dictionary definitions seem to show, as law school professors would say, a distinction without a difference. So I am grateful to Brian Muldoon of HeartWorks Mediation Center, keynote speaker at this year’s ANDRI, for offering a way to distinguish them: He says a “dispute” […]

The dispute resolution process now known as “case evaluation” has been used by Michigan courts for forty years to settle litigated cases, but it is now on the far side of the bell curve in terms of its effectiveness. The basic concept seems sound: have a team of three outside attorneys review the case and […]

The ABA Journal recently posted a very good article on apology that encompasses all aspects of legal practice: The Last Word: When the Last Thing You Want to do is the First Thing You Ought to do. Many articles have been written about apology as a component of mediated settlements, and I’ve given workshops on […]