Law students who specialize in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) focus on litigation and conflict resolution skills. ADR acts as an alternative to going to trial when problems arise between businesses and their customers, suppliers, partners or employees. Just as trial skills are important, so is a strong background in mediation, arbitration and negotiation.
Washington University School of Law students have assisted more than 2,500 households in the past two years. They have provided approximately 400 day-of-court mediations as well as helping with pre-filing mediations and offering rental assistance counseling. The St. Louis, Missouri, law school requires a first-year course called Introduction to Negotiation & Dispute Resolution. The class provides essential knowledge, particularly since negotiation and dispute resolution will be included on the NextGen Bar Exam, which goes into effect in July 2026.
University of Miami School of Law’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Concentration includes extensive experiential simulation, client-skills training and a writing elective. Following completion of their Evidence class, each student participates in simulated experiential learning in the school’s Litigation Skills Program, followed by real client experience in either a litigation-oriented clinic or a certified legal internship with a government agency or legal aid organization.
New York Law School excels in moot court and mediation competitions. Every year, the school sends a team to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, held in Vienna, Austria. Team members are selected by the faculty coaches. In February 2023, NYLS students advanced to the finals in the ICC International Commercial Competition in Paris. NYLS was in the final two of the 48 teams in the competition.
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University’s Dispute Resolution Program’s mission is to develop modern-day problem solvers who can skillfully use dispute resolution processes for the benefit of their clients and society. The Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution was one of the first alternative dispute resolution programs in the country and the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution is one of the top ADR journals in the country. ADR Field Clinic students are placed in semester-long field placements at a variety of dispute resolution organizations throughout New York City.
Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Dispute Resolution Institute offers rigorous academics, hands-on simulation experience and cross-disciplinary examination of conflict theory, advocacy and problem-solving in domestic and study abroad courses. The institute is also affiliated with the Mediation Center — a recognized leader in the mediation and conflict resolution field.
Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution was awarded a $450,000 grant by JAMS Foundation. The grant will support the Straus Institute’s planned two-year training and engagement program to address the relationship between the Los Angeles community and law enforcement. The program will use dispute resolution techniques to advance understanding and collaboration between the two constituencies, with the goal of restoring relationships and inspiring unity across the city. The program aims to transform the culture of conflict in Los Angeles by honoring the experiences of community members and law enforcement officers, and rebuilding trust through training and shared-experience interventions.
Capital University Law School’s Center for Dispute Resolution regularly hosts training and CLE opportunities in the field of mediation and dispute resolution. Its Mediation Clinic is a clinical experience for students who have completed the Mediation class. Students will mediate disputes in a variety of settings including Small Claims Court and the Municipal Court. Additionally, students will mediate disputes referred directly to the clinic.
New York Law School’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Skills Program students gain an initial familiarity with the broadly recognized formal procedures of ADR through introductory courses in negotiation, mediation and arbitration. They further their study through doctrinal and clinical opportunities in deal negotiation, conflict negotiation, domestic and international mediation and arbitration, court-annexed ADR, cross-cultural negotiation and area-specific dispute resolution regimes such as employment, securities and family law dispute resolution. A focused externship program affords students opportunities to observe and participate in actual arbitration and mediation procedures and to develop professional contacts in the field.
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law’s Maryland Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellows Program is an innovative initiative sponsored by the Maryland Judiciary, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the law school that brings together a diverse group of influential Maryland leaders to expand their negotiation, conflict resolution and consensus-building skills. The program aims to achieve more effective and sustainable solutions to Maryland’s critical public policy issues. The program comprises two days of training in negotiation and collaborative decision-making and offers the Fellows the opportunity to connect with leaders across the state.
PHOTO CAPTION: UC COLLEGE OF THE LAW, SAN FRANCISCO’S Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Team provides students with opportunities to practice their negotiation and mediation skills on a regular basis throughout the school year. Team members receive individual support, coaching and mentoring from faculty and local practitioners designed to maximize competitive performance, increase understanding of legal problems and their practical implications and to develop skills.
Check out the Spring preLaw 2024 digital issue article to view the law school honor roll.
