Edited by John Lande

This book compiles 63 short “think pieces” by a wide range of practitioners and academics, diagnosing problems with the dispute resolution movement these days and suggesting ideas to revitalize it.  You can download this important book for free by clicking here.

People often observe that the Chinese word for “crisis” is composed of characters referring to danger and opportunity.  The dispute resolution movement is not yet in crisis, but the book describes both dangers and opportunities on the horizon.  It offers numerous concrete ideas for revitalizing the movement to improve people’s lives and make our world better.

It is organized in the following sections:

• Reflections on the Past-and-Future Conference
• The Big Picture
• Impact and Use of Technology
• Legal Education
• Professional Training and Practice
• Research and Scholarship

It makes the following recommendations for strengthening the dispute resolution movement:

• Develop clearer common language of dispute resolution
• Redefine what we do and who we are
• Integrate technology into all our work
• Develop best practice standards
• Redesign teaching and training curricula
• Develop and implement a research agenda
• Develop a searchable dispute resolution bibliographic database
• Engage the major issues of our times with realistic plans and expectations
• Attract “all hands on deck”
• Unbundle and prioritize our lives

Anyone who cares about the dispute resolution movement should read this book, including practitioners, academics, judges, court administrators, government and business officials, and students in the US and around the world.