Laboratory for Advancing Dispute Resolution Skills Teaching

Type of Resource

Skill

Subject Matter

NextGen Bar

Teaching Notes

Skill Level

Modality

Resources

Resource Submission Form

Dispute resolution legal educators have a long tradition of sharing teaching resources and DRI has facilitated this sharing by collecting and publishing these resources in a word document with appendices. After a decade of collecting information in this way, we are pleased to upgrade the collection of these resources into a searchable database.

In this database you will find experiential activities, simulations, videos, assignments, and podcasts. You will be able to search this database in a variety of ways, based on “subject matter,” “skill,” etc. We also have added a search facet for “NextGen” which we anticipate will continue to grow with resources as we all learn more about the Next Gen Bar Exam and how best to prepare our students.

We are in the process of adding a portal for submitting additional resources you wish to share. Note that all submissions will be offered free of charge for academic use.

Results

Becoming a Landlord: William and Olivia

This is a basic real estate negotiation between two siblings who have entered the commercial real estate business together. Olivia has provided the initial monetary resources and signed the mortgage. William, who has bad credit and no cash, has been providing some labor and oversight of the property. The siblings never made a formal agreement […]

Standstill Agreement: Steps to Resolving a Legal Dispute

This is a complex scenario with multiple parties, including officials from the United States, New Mexico, Mexico and the United Nations. Participants play the roles of the individual officials for each side. There are up to twelve roles, although the simulation can work with as few as six participants (e.g., two each for the United […]

The Secession of New Mexico (Multi-party Negotiation)

Movie Star

This is a basic in-class negotiating and drafting simulation intended for law students. The underlying scenario involves a potential deal between a novice filmmaker, Kia Zorn, and a fading rock star, Klaus Herzog (the lead singer of Zur Ü mlaut), who is hoping to score the lead role in Zorn’s new movie and begin a […]

Missile Base in Turkey

This is a scored negotiation exercise intended for law students and professionals. The underlying scenario involves the negotiation of a possible American missile base in Turkey. The student negotiators receive points depending on which specific provisions are included in the final deal. A confidential “points grid” is provided to each side with a list of […]

Math Tutor

This is a basic negotiating and drafting simulation intended for law students. The underlying scenario involves a forensic entomologist who is hiring a math professor for tutoring services. In this simulation, students play both clients and attorneys. The students negotiate and draft covenants and representations and warranties for an agreement between the forensic entomologist and […]

Housing Now!

This is a basic negotiation scenario focused on negotiating a housing development agreement between a nonprofit housing advocacy organization (Housing Now!) and a small suburban community (Veblen Village). Housing Now! is hoping to build affordable housing in Veblen Village and needs assistance and permissions from Veblen. Students play the role of lawyers for the two […]

House-Sitter

This is an introductory-level transactional scenario focused on negotiating and drafting a short house-sitting agreement. The exercise is designed to introduce all of the major aspects of transactional lawyering: client relationship management, negotiation and drafting (with some revising). The basic premise is straightforward (and a bit whimsical). A homeowner, who owns four cats and a […]

Civil Rights Settlement

This is an intermediate-level dispute resolution scenario focused on negotiating and drafting a settlement agreement of a discrimination claim. Students play the roles of the lawyers for each side. Instructors and adjunct faculty have typically played the clients (although with support students could play those roles, too). The scenario is designed for use over three […]

Foggy Tops

This is a basic dispute resolution scenario focused on negotiating the early resolution of an employment dispute. A high-priced employee (Wells Menz) has been fired by his employer (Foggy Tops), and the lawyers (played by students) must attempt to negotiate a resolution. One side has been given instructions to be more adversarial; the other side […]

Resources

Results

Laboratory for Advancing Dispute Resolution Skills Teaching

Dispute Resolution Insitute at Mitchell Hamline School of law