ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING AND PROCESSES FOR RESPONDING TO CONFLICT AND DISPUTES: AN INTRODUCTION FROM THE DIRECTOR

The Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Conflict and Dispute Resolution (CISCDR— pronounced “sister”) was established in 2005 to address both the large and amorphous problems of human conflict that take many forms and the more discrete forms of disputes that often result in litigation. In our era of globalization the world community increasingly relies upon negotiation, mediation, and arbitration as well as other forms of dispute resolution as alternative methods of resolving disputes.

CISCDR is dedicated to:

• Equipping our students with the knowledge and skill to assist a wide variety of clients with complex national and international matters that are not well-suited to adversarial treatment in domestic forums
• Engaging in legal and interdisciplinary research designed to produce new insights and innovations in our understanding of and response to conflict and disputes
• Fostering public discussion about the intersection of law and other disciplines that systematically examine the problems of conflict and disputes.

We offer an increasingly comprehensive course of study in dispute resolution beginning with the first-year elective, Perspectives in Dispute Resolution, which introduces students to the core concepts and procedures of dispute resolution in our legal system. An upper level survey course, Alternative Dispute Resolution, focuses on the theory and practice of various approaches and is rich in simulations that allow students to develop a feel for each. Advanced courses have strong theoretical components and include Arbitration Law Policy and Practice and Negotiation Theory.

Since CISCDR’s inception in 2005 our law students have participated in a number of competitions sponsored by the American Bar Association. Students have competed locally and regionally in the Negotiations, Client Counseling, and the Client Interviewing competitions. Student interest in participating in these opportunities has been tremendous, as has demand for the basic mediation course in which students have been trained as mediators. This interest led to the expansion of teams for the competitions and to additional offerings of the course. CISCDR’s long-term plan is for the curriculum and co-curricular activities in this area to expand to include courses with an interdisciplinary focus as well as a greater emphasis on dispute resolution in traditional law courses. CISCDR also envisions a journal dedicated to interdisciplinary scholarship in conflict and dispute resolution, such as the April 2009 symposium on Forgiveness Reconciliation and the Law currently being prepared for publication.

These experiences broaden the horizons of students beyond the narrow and traditional focus upon litigation by creating a sensitivity and skill set that add value to the services lawyers can provide their clients. Recent changes in the world and the practice of law are placing a premium on peaceful and cost-effective means of resolving the tension in social interactions from negotiating and mediating international agreements that circumvent war and facilitate commercial transactions to resolving business and consumer, insurance, health care and employment issues in arbitration rather than litigation. Successful lawyers accomplish dispute prevention through careful planning. And when disputes inevitably arise, lawyers must evaluate them to determine and implement the optimal dispute resolution process.

In the words of one prominent expert in the field, lawyers must become “dispute resolution design architects in a deliberative democracy.” Ultimately, the successful twenty-first century lawyer must be able to participate effectively in that system.

We have built a program that gives our graduates these tools and prepares them for careers in conflict and dispute resolution.

I am excited about the mission of CISCDR, and I invite your questions and ideas.


Calvin William Sharpe
Galen J. Roush Professor of Business Law and Regulation
Founding Director, CISCDR