This course examines how obvious and not-so-obvious cultural difference impacts resolution of inter-personal and inter-state (international) disputes. Specifically, the course will bring an international perspective to understanding the impact of culture in the most commonly used international and domestic dispute resolution processes (negotiation, mediation and arbitration). It will follow a three-step approach to know and understand the influence of culture on decision-making, including: awareness and knowledge of one’s own culture; knowledge and understanding of another party’s culture; and knowledge and impact of either on the desired goal/outcome of the dispute. This course will help students be more culturally aware and better equipped for effective participation in dispute resolution processes that increasingly involve different languages, customs, values, nationalities, and states of origin.

Professionals in today’s chaotic world must develop the skills necessary to handle those inevitable situations in which external events intrude upon, and interfere with, the professionals’ abilities to make clear and appropriate decisions. These situations of uncertainty can easily deteriorate into crises. If not handled correctly, they also can cause irreversible damage to relationships. In order to be effective in such situations, conflict professionals must possess the capacity to collect, assess and adapt new and changing information. They must also develop their creative capacities and vision to take into account and address the consequences for the future (“the day after”). In addition, professionals must be proficient in tackling challenging conversations. Using the most contemporary tools and methodologies for creative problem solving, students will develop the skills needed for making good decisions in a chaotic reality. Mastering these skills offers the possibility of negotiation success even when your negotiating partners do not share your aspiration to collaborate.

This interdisciplinary course introduces students to important theoretical perspectives on our understanding of conflict and conflict response. Specifically, students explore the biological/physiological, psychodynamic, social psychological, communication, and sociological/political perspectives on conflict by reading and discussing major theoretical works within each perspective. Emphasis is on comparing and distinguishing key dimensions of these theories, such as the nature and sources of conflict, conflict escalation, conflict response, and the nature of the third party role. Classes follow an interactive format. Using case studies, exercises, and group discussion to draw upon personal experiences, including those involving race and social identity, the course explores the usefulness of each perspective to understand the experience of conflict.

Through discussion, simulations, and roleplay, this course focuses on the structure and goals of the mediation process and on the skills and techniques mediators use to aid parties in overcoming barriers to dispute resolution. The course also examines the underlying negotiation orientations and strategies that mediators may confront and employ; the roles of attorneys and clients; dealing with difficult people and power imbalances; cultural, race, and social identity considerations; and ethical issues for lawyers and mediators. In addition, special attention is devoted to the art of successful representation of clients in mediation.

This course examines the skills, constraints, and dynamics of the negotiation process. A theoretical framework for understanding negotiation practice in a variety of contexts will be developed through readings, highly interactive exercises, and role-plays. The course addresses fundamental skills such as systematic preparation management of the negotiation process, and identification of optimal agreements. Ethical constraints of negotiation also are considered. Course content is drawn from the fields of law, psychology, business, and communication.

This is a challenging, high-energy course in basic divorce mediation skills and practice development. Along with the basic content areas of divorce settlement—property division, parenting, child and spousal support, divorce tax issues—the course also addresses the role of consultants and lawyers, conflict theory, psychological issues, power balancing, domestic abuse, drafting agreements, and mediation ethics. Although designed with the law student and family lawyer in mind, the course also is an ideal training and specialization opportunity for therapists and other social service professionals. This course emphasizes experiential learning with the opportunity for individual feedback from experienced coaches.

Restorative Justice offers a refreshingly different framework for thinking about crime and other wrongdoing. Increasingly it is being called on as a practice to address non-criminal forms of conflict and harm that lead to deeply divided disputes in civil society. The heart of Restorative Justice is the practice of Restorative Justice Dialogue. This distinctive form of dialogue acknowledges the damaged relationships, as well as the injuries sustained by victims, that result from any wrongdoing and focuses on healing for all those involved. Rather than the adversarial approach commonly found in criminal and civil adjudicatory proceedings, the practice of Restorative Justice Dialogue involves engagement of those harmed, those causing harm and the community for the purpose of social healing in a way that can lead to recovery of our shared humanity in the midst of conflict, crime and harm. This course offers students an opportunity to study the four leading forms of Restorative Justice Dialogue practice: (1) Victim-Offender Dialogue (formerly called Victim-Offender Mediation); (2) Group Conferencing (sometimes called Family Group Conferencing); (3) Talking Circles (sometimes called Peacemaking Circles); and (4) Truth Commissions. The course will examine the principles underlying these forms of Restorative Justice Dialogue practice and explore the possibilities they offer to move beyond the limits of a retributive sense of justice toward embracing the importance of social healing in the community including the potential they have to encourage reform of judicial systems, to address disputes beyond the criminal justice system and to advance racial justice. The course will also explore the application of these processes in schools, workplaces, faith communities and families. Students will be invited to draw on their own experience of conflict as they explore the dynamics of different kinds of conflict. The class will be highly experiential in nature with the practice of the talking circle serving as a core modality for class discussion.