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Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) spans all fields of law, and has become an essential component of any attorney's toolkit. Many US courts have formally adopted mandatory mediation requirements and multi-door systems, encouraging disputants to engage in good faith negotiations, facilitation, or mediation before they can see the inside of a courtroom. Similarly, commercial contracts of all kinds (e.g. credit card, employment, construction) include binding pre-dispute arbitration clauses that commit parties to using ADR for contractual disputes. Coupled with rising litigation costs, these trends have resulted in a much smaller proportion of cases reaching trial, making the field and techniques of ADR more relevant today than ever before.
The ADR Advocacy Division of Barristers' Council offers students a unique opportunity to develop sophisticated techniques necessary for competent and ethical representation in ADR proceedings. The ADR Division's record of success is outstanding, and it reflects our exceptional commitment to training and preparation. The students in our division work closely with an impressive network of highly-regarded ADR scholars and practitioners as they prepare to represent Georgetown at regional, national, and international competitions focused on arbitration, mediation, client counseling, and negotiation.
Those students interested in joining the ADR Advocacy Division must participate in our Intraschool Negotiation Competition (held each Spring) where they demonstrate their skillful handling of a legal negotiation in settlement discussions with their peers. These simulated negotiations are designed to display each student's ability to balance: ethical advocacy, active listening, focusing on interests over positions, separating the people from the problem, and inventing creative solutions for mutual gain. Competitors whom advance to the final round are invited to join the Barristers' Council and represent the Law Center on one of its interscholastic ADR teams.
ADR Advocacy Announcements & Press Releases |
