AALS Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution
September 24-26, 2026
University of Missouri School of Law
Welcome Dinner: Thursday, Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Note: Participants arriving Thursday afternoon may wish to participate in our optional Coffee Conversations on shared areas of research. Please see more details, below.
Conference: Friday, Sept. 25, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. & Saturday, Sept. 26, 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the University of Missouri School of Law
Saturday Excursions: Participants who are staying later in the day or overnight on Saturday are invited to join one of our group excursions. Please see the link below for more details.
Location: University of Missouri School of Law
Conference Registration
When you register, you’ll have an opportunity to:
We welcome works at any stage of progress, from a preliminary idea to a full draft. For those at the full draft stage, you can let us know if you’d like to be paired with another scholar for review of your work. Finally, non-presenting participants are always welcome!
We have four grants available to help defray travel and lodging expenses for up to 4 first-time WIP attendees. Junior scholars will receive preference, but all are welcome to apply.
Participants arriving by Thursday afternoon will have an opportunity to gather for informal conversation over coffee, tea, and light refreshments with other scholars in their areas of research interest.
Presenters at the full draft stage at the time of submission (August 1) may elect to have their work competitively considered for early acceptance of publication in the Summer 2027 edition of the University of Missouri School of Law’s Journal of Dispute Resolution. Authors whose articles are selected for publication will be notified of selection in Fall 2026.
Options will be based on participant interest and may include a film viewing at our independent, arthouse theater, Ragtag Cinema (host of the widely acclaimed True/False international documentary film festival), a tour of our downtown art galleries or independent bookstores, or a relaxing Fall stroll on the scenic MKT Trail System. We will organize a dinner outing for interested participants on Saturday night.
The deadline for conference registration, proposals, and hotel lodging is Saturday, Aug. 1.
We encourage you to book your hotel room early, as hotels book up quickly over the summer. We have reserved a conference block at the beautiful (and walkable!) Tiger Hotel in downtown Columbia, MO for $219/night. We’ll send you a link to the conference block following your registration.
The AALS ADR Works-in-Progress Conference (“WIP”) brings together dispute resolution scholars, teachers, and practitioners to discuss and receive feedback on their scholarly ideas and projects in a welcoming and collegial atmosphere. Projects at any stage are welcome. Our detailed conference schedule will be posted later this summer.
The University of Missouri School of Law is located in the heart of Columbia, Missouri. Our new, spacious terminal at the Columbia Regional Airport (COU) is conveniently located approximately 20 minutes (14 miles) from the School of Law.
Columbia Regional Airport (COU) is served by both American Airlines and United Airlines with non-stop flights to Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Charlotte (CLT). In addition, Allegiant provides nonstop travel to Destin-Fort Walton Beach, FL (VPS) and Orlando, FL (MCO).
COU offers Rental Car Service (Alamo, Enterprise, and National) and Taxi Service. Rideshares (Uber and Lyft) between COU and downtown hotels or the School of Law typically run $35.00-$40.00 each way.
Conference participants who wish to fly into St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) may make the trip to Columbia in approximately 2 hours (112 miles).
Participants flying into St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) may travel to Columbia via the reliable and affordable MO-X Airport Shuttle, which provides door-to-door service for $135.00 round trip. For those who might prefer to drive, STL airport rental car options include (among others), Enterprise, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, Avis, Alamo, and National.
The University of Missouri campus is a designated botanic garden and was ranked #5 in Business Insider’s listing of the “Top 14 Most Beautiful and Iconic American College Quads.” The School of Law is located in the heart of campus and is adjacent to the vibrant Downtown Columbia Historic District and the Francis Quadrangle Historic District, both of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Our location affords walking access to coffee shops, restaurants, independent book stores, art galleries, shopping, hiking trails, and hotel accommodations.
Any questions? Please contact Mizzou Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution Director Carli Conklin at conklinc@missouri.edu.
We hope to see you in Columbia this fall!