Did you know there is an ADR process called “hot-tubbing?” This was news to me when I heard it mentioned last week at the Court ADR Symposium (which occurs every year on the day before the ABA Dispute Resolution Section Conference). As I understand it, the process is used sometimes in arbitration when there are conflicting expert opinions. Basically, the idea is that rather than simply hear expert testimony from each side sequentially, the arbitrator questions the experts concurrently. Hot-tubbing has been used in court settings in Australia, England and Wales, as well as in arbitration. (more…)
Author Archive
“Hot-Tubbing” and ADR?
Susan M. Yates, April 7th, 2014Remembering Dick Salem
Susan M. Yates, March 24th, 2014The field of Alternative Dispute Resolution lost one of our founders this weekend when Dick Salem died. Dick’s core values led him to work in dispute resolution before it was a field. While serving with the U.S. government’s Community Relations Service in the 1960s and 70s, he was mediator at Wounded Knee and when Nazis wanted to march in Skokie, Illinois. Later, he worked extensively in South Africa and then other African countries, most notably Rwanda.
Dick also worked in the Chicago area, which is where I met him back in the 80s. Wherever ADR was the topic, Dick was there. He served on the board of Neighborhood Justice of Chicago (now the Center for Conflict Resolution) when I was executive director and we served together on the board of the Chicago chapter of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution (now the Association for Conflict Resolution.) (more…)
A Professional Communicator?
Susan M. Yates, February 28th, 2014One way that we mediators sometimes describe ourselves is as professional communicators. We are skilled at listening deeply, speaking clearly and helping people in conflict form a communication bridge. How is it, then, that we can sometimes be so inept in our own conversations, even when we are not in conflict?
Take, as an example, my recent conversation with a helpful Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) employee. The CTA is in the process of changing from its old system for paying fares. I had lost my card for the new system, so I was buying individual-ride tickets. The helpful CTA guy told me I shouldn’t buy those tickets; I should buy transit cards because they were less expensive.
What followed was a not-so-funny version of “Who’s on first.” (more…)
Sweet Deal on National ADR Conference
Susan M. Yates, January 30th, 2014For the past 15 years, I have attended the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section’s annual conference, and I plan to go this year, too. The ABA bills it as the world’s largest ADR conference, but that’s not the draw for me. I go because they have an all-day court ADR symposium that gives me the opportunity to meet with and learn from my court ADR colleagues from around the nation and the world.
As is usually the case, RSI will be presenting at the Court ADR Symposium and in the main conference. In the Court ADR Symposium, I will talk about our newly renovated CourtADR.org resource center, especially the interactive bibliography of studies of cost, pace and satisfaction in court ADR programs. (I hope the renovations are complete by then!) In the main conference, I will be part of a panel discussing licensing, certification, etc. for mediators.
This year the conference takes place April 2-5 in Miami. The deadline for the ABA’s lower-cost early bird registration is February 14, 2014 – Valentine’s Day. If you just attend the Court ADR Symposium, the cost is $110 for all day. Plus, considering the vexatious winter affecting much of the country, the idea of a few days in Miami sounds wonderful! But I don’t suggest you mention that when you ask your court to fund the trip. Instead, you might want to try for a scholarship from the ABA. The deadline for that is a week earlier, February 7.
See you in Miami!
