The United States Ombudsman Association is pleased to announce that our 2016 Annual Conference: “The Ombudsman: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Fairness” will be held October 17-21, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia, at the Westin Arlington Gateway. Please click here for the registration packet and visit our conference page at…

Turns out, non-verbal communication (actions, not words) can play a lead role in resolving conflict. Margaret Paul, PhD, who authored an article for The Huffington Post, calls this type of communication-in-confict “loving actions.” Read-on to learn more:…

The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System released a new  'Foundations of Practice' study based on a survey of more than 24,000 lawyers across the US. The study identifies “foundations” that lawyers need in the short term after graduation. 

In a post on Indisputably, Prof. John Lande lists the top skills and qualities that lawyers need - according to lawyers themselves - and notes that the only place in the law school curriculum where…

I happened across the teachings of a Vietnamese monk recently as part of an online search of something entirely unrelated. Fortunately, I had a few moments to light on that page and I found a question.

I think it might be a pearl. Something you are so lucky to find … and it’s so very simple.

Thich Nhat Hanh believes that we should ask our loved ones closest and dearest to us one very straight forward question – and then stop to really…

What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].…

The Ombudsman for Public Education in Washington DC is accepting applications for its third cohort of fellows. The Ombudsman Fellows will, "work directly with families, learn about the education system…

http://ataraxisconflictresolution.com/becoming-peace/

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my new “multi-generational” tennis class and the fantastic people I’ve met there. Well, one of those just happens to be my age (which is kind of a shocker), and, recently, she’s been dealing with ending her marriage.

I wish I could say it was her decision to end the marriage and that she felt really good about it. But, that’s not the case. It’s been ugly, difficult, and confusing – and, she’s been through an awful lot of introspection and…

What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].…

My conflict resolution colleague, Jim Melamed, has been in the middle of some pretty gnarly conflicts. And he has seen some pretty amazing outcomes.

Why?

Because he is a mediator and a darn good one.

Jim wrote an article for mediate.com entitled “Effective Conversations in American Society.”

He’s tired … tired of the of the political posturing that is feeds on the…

NPR's Invisibilia podcast of July 25 featured a case study of the psychological concept of complementarity. In Aarhus, Denmark, two crime prevention police officers 'flipped the script' on responses to jihadi youth returning home after having travelled to Syria More

What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].…

The left hand side of our brain is logical, sequential, rational, analytical, objective and focuses on parts.

It is what we call upon to solve problems in an organized and methodical way.

It helps us memorize, prioritize and make decisions.

Turns out that we use it about 90% of the time.

The right hand side of our brain is random, intuitive, synthesizing and subjective. And it looks at the whole.

It tries different approaches and…

I’ve always wanted to be a great tennis player (which could be why I have all three of my children playing), but, alas, it was not meant to be. I don’t mean to sound defeatist, but frankly, I’m not much of an athlete and never will be. It’s OK–I have other talents.

Why the personal tale of tennis woes? Because I’ve found a lot of joy this past year taking a “cardio” tennis class with a group of (mostly) seniors at our club. I can run to the ball, but can’t hit. They can hit…

What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].…

Conflict has taken hold.

Communication has broken down.

Everyone has become less flexible.

The sides have retreated to their respective corners.

Each party wants to defeat the other – so one side MUST lose.

Tension mounts – resolution seems remote.

That’s what’s occurring in the foreground.

But if you are lucky, there is at least one person who isn’t as entrenched as everyone else.…

How many times have you been upset at your spouse, partner, child? If you’re like most of us, the number is too high to count! But, do you still love that person? If the relationship is important enough, you’ll work through it and continue to love that person long after the conflict is over.

At the latest ABA Section of Dispute Resolution conference in NYC, I participated in a panel trying to envision the future of the field of ADR. Not that I would ordinarily suggest convening groups of prophets in order to say things that will likely seem silly a couple of years later, but the idea here was to grapple with a single proposition: Change is more likely to happen in our field, than not. What might that change look like? And, no matter what it turns out to look like, how can we…

When I was a very young girl, there was couple that lived next door – Harry and JR. I wanted to marry Harry.

I couldn’t tell you now what he looked like or recall the sound of his voice. All I can remember is that he was a wonderful person to be around – warm and inviting.

Actually, I picked today’s blog topic not because of Harry, but because of a few people I know who are basically angry and disgruntled. They have a few bright moments now and then,…