Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Dispute Resolution
Institute

Educating you to be a successful, creative agent of conflict resolution at home and abroad

Consistently ranked in the top dispute resolution programs by U.S. News & World Report.

In a world drawn ever closer by globalization, yet still fractured by historical and cultural division, understanding and managing conflict is critical. Through the Dispute Resolution Institute, we teach mediation because it provides a unique perspective on mutual understanding and creative problem-solving. We teach the art of negotiation because it is central to both making and saving deals. We teach arbitration because it is the global forum of choice for business.

We offer a window into new ways of conceptualizing and delivering justice, ranging from the challenge of implementing the healing focus of restorative justice practices to the practicalities of online dispute resolution. We encourage you to actively explore questions of professional identity so you can seek the satisfaction that comes from a close connection between your work as conflict resolvers and your most deeply held values. And, we have made a commitment to explore all of these subjects and themes in international contexts out of the conviction that it is critical for you to push the boundaries of your own comfort level through deliberate exposure to different cultures and legal systems.

The Dispute Resolution Institute offers rigorous academic discourse, hands-on simulation experience, and cross-disciplinary examination of conflict theory, advocacy, and problem-solving in domestic and study abroad courses to challenge you and prepare you for a bright future. We are also proud to have been affiliated with the Mediation Center since 1998.

Certificates provide opportunities to broaden your conflict resolution and legal education

Our certificate programs are designed to enable you to develop your dispute knowledge and skills in an organized, thoughtful, and scholarly way, which will put you in the best possible position to deliver value to employers who recognize that evolution in conflict resolution management is critical in today’s professional environment.