Alternative dispute resolution/mediation.

[Astro]

Anyone else interested in this field?

I'd love to find some links to start exploring the realities of the field. 

[IF]

Its caught my eye a few times.  Though to be perfectly honest I don't know much about it, except that it attempts to settle disputes out of court.  I would imagine too that it's applied accross a broad spectrum of fields.

[Astro]

Yeah.  It finds particular use in the civil justice system.  Saves courts a lot of money, and actually ends up saving clients lots of money (usually). 

It's been the wave of the future for years.  I think it's really coming into its own now.

[Astro]

Tag

Add something worthwhile, you filthy slut!

[Astro]

bumP

[Le Docteur De Peste]

The firm I work for does a lot of ADR. You can take classes in it as part of Hastings' Civil Litigation concentration program, so I am le stoked. I'm definitely interested in the field as I think settlement and negotiation skills are just as important as trial experience, and in many ways even more so since most cases settle (and most parties prefer settlement over a lengthy and pricey trial).

Some ADR companies:

ADR Services: www.adrservices.org
JAMS: www.jamsadr.com

Basically you can hire an arbitrator/mediator which is usually a retired judge. However, experienced litigators w/ a good CV are also eligible (ex. like my managing partner).

JAMS is actually our client as well, and we have defended them in some professional liability cases (One was regarding an arbitrator who apparently knew the counsel for one of the parties. He didn't render any decision, which caused the other party to go bankrupt. So they sued JAMS and our firm was like, "Step up, fools." We lost, took it to appeal, and lost again.   )

[Astro]

Shouldn't have told them to step.

[Le Docteur De Peste]

Shouldn't have told them to step.

Yeah. 

[Astro]

I'm all about this.  I think I'll go looking for resources during my downtime at work today.

[Le Docteur De Peste]

I'm all about this.  I think I'll go looking for resources during my downtime at work today.

Post what you find because I am le down as well.