Fall 2025
Many people are surprised to learn that the vast majority of legal and business disputes are not resolved in court, but rather through alternative dispute resolution (ADR). This course will introduce students to the three primary forms of ADR: (1) negotiation, (2) mediation, and (3) arbitration. Students will learn the basic skills used in these ADR processes through lectures, discussions, and role play exercises. These skills will help students become more effective dispute resolvers and should prove useful in helping students navigate all types of disputes that they may encounter in their personal and professional lives.
Students will learn how these core ADR processes are different from—and in many cases superior to—litigation. Students will learn how disputants opt into these processes and the basic rules that govern them. And students will be exposed to the strategies and approaches that are frequently used by ADR practitioners in negotiations, mediations, and arbitrations.
This is a simulation course that will engage students experientially. Students will participate in simulations, role plays, and other exercises to help them better understand the ADR processes they are studying and to develop their conflict resolution skills.
