I am a finalist for the Innovating Justice Award sponsored by the International Hague.  My idea shows the dramatic cost and time savings when comparing mediation/ADR to litigation in the…

I studied the power of the BATNA in negotiation as part of the MS program at Creighton University.  It was a tough enough concept to grasp as a graduate student and later as a mediator.  I finally got it or I think so with all due humility.  I still work on the BATNA when I am in my own negotiations. It Is difficult to teach the BATNA concept to disputants who have no experience with the idea let alone negotiation and mediation, equally new approachs in comparison to…

Facilitated Virtual Collaboratory Solutions …

I am an evangelist for the ADR profession. My mission is to use the resources of the Association for Conflict Resolution to develop more career opportunities for ADR students as the next generation of ADR specialists.  A mentorship program between ADR students and leaders in the field of conflict resolution is in development via the Association for Conflict Resolution.                                      

The need is to…

The Association for Conflict Resolution needs mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution students to join the organization as the next generation of ADR specialists.  My role is to position the value of ACR student membership to encourage new student enrollments.  My additional undertaking is to create more incentives for ADR students to join and to regard the ACR as a networking organization to develop their ADR careers while in school in preparation for the job market.  Students need to…

"A stiff apology is a second insult... The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt."   G.K. Chesterton.

I refer to this quote from this great 19th Century English writer because it characterizes a recent mediation session that I facilitated.  It was a classic case of one party proposing 5 star service and delivering less than one star to the other party.  The plaintiff was…

I have a very broad question concerning post mediation.  If the court orders mediation in a small claims case, what typically happens if the mediation session is not successful and the case reverts to the courts?  I am asking for feedback and general comments based on this limited information.  What can be expected from the courts in cases such as these?

John Turley 

Yesterday, I attended the State Bar of Michigan's annual ADR meeting.  The keynote speaker, Sharon Press of Hamline University School of Law, did a superb job with her current overview of the ADR profession and emerging developments.  She introduced a new concept for me of Mediation-Arbitration (Med-Arb) or Arbitration - Mediation (Arb-Med).  I will write more about these hybrid forms of NDR in a subsequent post.  I will add that her presentation was consistent with our CU education in terms…

Recently, I seem to have forgotten all that I learned in ADR with my fine Creighton education.  In three different situations in two days, I ignored all that I learned and reverted to my Brooklyn wise guy ways.  In the first real world case study, I intended to fill my gas tank in anticipation of the impending blizzard at my local station in my hometown of Plymouth, Michigan.  An SUV was left unattended for over 15 minutes at one of the pumps.  I was directly behind the…

Here is a current article on the jobless recovery by Nancy Folbre.  I have worked for the "elite super rich" in my career which prompted me to write a response to this article.  I also attribute my reaction to my Jesuit education at Creighton and my resolve to follow St. Ignatius of Loyola's guidelines of Ignatian Spirituality.

JCT

Getting to “NO” while getting to “KNOW” the DN triple C…

I am in my first week as the Director of Fund Raising and Campaign Strategy for Natalie Mosher, the Democratic candidate for Congresswoman for the 11th Congressional District in SE Michigan. She is a grass roots champion for the diverse groups, special interests and issues that we have studied throughout our entire mediation and ADR program.

As a direct result of our…