After reading Jeanette's blog Monday about more mediators in public office, it got me thinking about where else mediators may be helpful--and schools came to mind.

Of course, school psychologists can be extremely helpful in resolving conflict between students, between students and teachers, and between faculty. But, they're often busy helping students with emotional struggles and family dynamics. If mediators or conflict resolution specialists were placed in schools, I can only…

When a judge in a court makes a decision on legal issues in dispute she or he considers many things depending on the situation. It may be the relevant case law, statutes, written and oral evidence provided, witness statements, and other information. Decisions judges make are not always straightforward, and sometimes we may be shocked at their determinations on cases.

When we, who are not judges, make judgments about other people, we do so with far less data. That is, we often do so as…

(First published in Conflictconversations.org)

Dr. Athena Staik has imagined what a child might say to warring parents to mitigate the harm done by their conflict. Click …

If you experience medical malpractice, over billing, or denial of an insurance claim, what are your options? Who can help you, and how can you help yourself? Learn how to navigate the health care legal landscape.

Geoff Drucker has addressed…

The Texas Conflict Coach® Blog Talk Radio program announces the following episodes starting

in the month of  March, held every Tuesday night from 7:00-7:30 pm CST/8:00-8:30 pm EST.

To participate, go to the designated link for each program or call-in live at 347-324-3591…

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

Are you frustrated with the polarization that characterizes our political environment? Do you think that elected officials should set aside their partisan approach and work together to address our nation's challenges?

If that's the case, you will like the work of The "Elect Mediators to Public Office" Project.…

The Ombuds Committee of the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association is now officially up and running again. One of its goals is to inform and educate lawyers and the public about Ombuds programs, functions and the benefits they provide to organizations and society. …

I just read an interesting article in Mediate.com that spoke the issue of blame--and who's fault it is when a marriage or relationship fails.

Although "blame" is not hardly new territory to tackle, the article made me realize that it's human nature to want to assign blame to a conflict. So, as mediators, we're in the business of going AGAINST human nature to some degree--and asking the parties to do that, as well.…

Similar in some ways to the idiom ‘beating around the bush’ described in a previous ConflictMastery™ Quest(ions) blog, the expression stonewalling refers to the tendency to avoid responding to a question or to be evasive. For me though, stonewalling seems to conjure up a stronger image of obstruction and uncooperativeness.

There are different…

JAMS Board Elects Linda R. Singer, Esq. New Chairwoman

February 19, 2014

Irvine, CA–JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide, announced today that its Board of Directors elected Linda R. Singer, Esq. Board Chair, effective May, 2014. Singer will replace Bruce A. Edwards, Esq., who has served as Chairman since May, 2011.  The Board’s election was made…

Medicine is more complex than ever and the complexity is only increasing due to healthcare reform, new technology, new medications, complex treatments to name a few. As health care continues its transformation, so will the relationship between physician and patient. Patients are finding that they have less time in which to present , discuss, or follow up on an health issue and, in addition, it's increasingly difficult to understand medical terms and treatment options. Given that time with…

The latest blog entry at the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation's website says that positional bargaining is not the cause of destructive conflict, though it may be a symptom.  You can read that blog entry here.

When Janice Etter filed a claim in small claims court in November 2009, she never imagined what awaited her. When she found herself and her partner the victim of a scam. Janice brought her lawsuit to try to recover money she had lost to a con-artist, thinking that in the “people’s court” (small claims) she would not need to pay for legal counsel – “we never dreamt we would need one for this”.…

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

The definition of a "dance" in Websters dictionary is "a series of movements that match the speed and rhythm of a piece of music." Now, why on earth would I write out that in a conflict resolution blog?

The reason is that in mediation, I often see conflicting parties "dance" with one another. What do I mean by that?

They have their own music that defines their…

(First published on conflictconversations.org)…

On the 1st of October 2013 dispute resolution in South Africa entered into a new era with the accreditation of Equillore , a private dispute resolution agency, by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in terms of the provisions of section 127 of the Labour Relations Act, Act 66 of 1995 (the LRA) to perform dispute resolution functions as stipulated in…