Entries by DisputeResolution

Why Clients Like Mediation

By Frank Laney As a lawyer/mediator, I have had very few opportunities to participate in a mediation as a litigant. But I did once, which gave me some insight into why clients like mediation. My wife and I were selling our house. A buyer looked at it, decided he wanted it, signed a purchase contract […]

Work Worth Doing: Alternative Dispute Resolution

By Colleen Byers It is easy in today’s political and cultural environment to feel overwhelmed and completely helpless to affect any change. Conflict abounds. In a society focused on retributive justice, where traditional litigation approaches are the norm, advocating options for conflict resolution that fall on the alternative dispute resolution spectrum can often feel counter […]

Role for the Mediator

By Frank Laney A quality mediator needs to have expertise in facilitating communication and decision making, being a process expert. Substance vs. Process There is a continuing debate about mediator qualifications, about what it takes to be a good mediator. The question is, “Does a good mediator simply need to be an expert on the […]

Let’s Recognize the Peacemakers Among Us

By M. Ann Anderson North Carolina is a leader in the country for innovative and effective dispute resolution for its citizens. That leadership came about through the hard work of North Carolina citizens who, in hindsight, seem to have had a crystal ball predicting the importance of aiding people in conflict to find ways to […]