Preparing and Paying for QDROs in Divorce
The responsibilities of a plan administrator include reviewing QDROs or DROs and then distributing the funds to the non-plan participant spouse once they have approved the order--which become difficult in a separation.
Conflict in the Workplace – Mediation Can Make Your Team More Efficient
Conflict in the workplace is inevitable when people with different values and opinions come together.
Yes and No are Powerful Words
Yes and No are powerful words. What impact does saying each of them have on your body and nervous system?
Tips for Addressing Childhood Conflict
These are steps for teaching your children to reduce childhood conflict.
Mental Health First Aid Training May Make Our Community Happier and Healthier!
“Many people with mental illness are reluctant to seek help or know where to turn for care, while their friends and family members may struggle to know when and how to help,” said Dr. Rotenberg.
How Do You Define “Ethics?”
"For centuries, we have shared common expectations of how we behave ethically in society, based largely on a mutual understanding of the reality in which our decisions play out. These underlying expectations have come to be guided by three pillars."
To Solve a Problem at Work–Ask; Don’t Assume
When you ask and don’t assume you already know the answers, you’re likely to find better solutions to workplace problems.
[Podcast] Where Does the Insurance Industry Sit Now on Racial Issues?
In a recent episode of Insurance Business Talk, JAMS neutral Rebekah Ratliff speaks with host Paul Lucas on her experience as a Black woman in the insurance industry and where the industry is now in terms of issues relating to gender and race.
Making Ethical Decisions
Despite the complexity of ethical issues, Ms. Liautaud has formula for making an ethical decision quite simple.
Mediating (and Settling) Real Property Cases
Just as there are a myriad of real property interests, there can be disputes involving any of those interests.
Vulnerability for the WIN!
Vulnerability as quoted from THE vulnerability researcher Brene Brown “is not winning or losing, it’s having the courage to show up even when you can’t control the outcome”.
Teaching Students to Think Like Practitioners
People often say that dispute resolution processes aren’t “one size fits all.”
Should Tribunals Stand up to Employee ‘Hypersensitivity’?
Recent years have seen a strong tide towards protection of employee rights in employment tribunals, a heightened awareness of any form of discrimination, the damaging effects of throwaway remarks.
When the World is Too Much, How to Release Overwhelm with Resonance
What happens in our brains and bodies when life -- and conflict -- feels like too much for us?
[PODCAST] JAMS Foundation & Hands of Peace: Empowering American, Israeli & Palestinian Youth to Be Peacemakers, Agents of Change
A podcast from JAMS featuring David Brandon of The JAMS Foundation and Gretchen Grad and Scott Rasmussen of Hands of Peace, discussing Hands of Peace’s work empowering American, Israeli and Palestinian youth to be agents of change in their communities.
Mediation Advocacy: A must for law students in India
“Advocacy is a conscious act of support, expressed by speaking or writing on behalf of another person, an idea, a cause or a policy.”
Why Mediators Need to Stop and Think Hard about Facilitating NDAs in Settlement Agreements
. . . An agreement seems to be emerging, to the relief of the plaintiff whose human rights complaint against the defendant employer has been dragging on for months. . .
A Tale of Two Negotiators
When President Trump was in office, I wrote a series of posts about his negotiation habits based on contemporary news accounts.
The Five Divorces
Lonnie and Chris got married right out of college.¹ They had a lot of ups and downs, and over time, they grew apart. After 20 years, they decided to divorce.
Bring More Peace Into Your Life with Jeremy Pollack – Tip 22: Manage Your Emotions
This is an extremely important topic to consider when thinking about how to effectively engage in conflict resolution, especially when dealing with escalated situations. When considering how to engage in emotional self-regulation, it is crucial to first recognize our triggers. Asking ourselves, “What kinds of situations tend to trigger me?” is one way of doing this.
Implicit Bias is Everywhere!
Recently, I discussed an empirical study conducted by University of Hawaii Professor Justin D. Levinson and Mark Bennett, U. S. District Judge (ret.) on 239 sitting federal and state judges regarding their implicit bias towards “largely favored minority groups”.
Fight, Flight, or Freeze....Conflict Responses are Very Personal
How do you respond to conflict? It is very personal, and is based on millions of experiences that have shaped each person.
UNCITRAL Completes a New Mediation Framework, Based on the Singapore Convention
Earlier this month, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law adopted the UNCITRAL Mediation Rules, the UNCITRAL Notes on Mediation, and the Guide to Enactment and Use of the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Mediation and International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation.
Implicit Bias in Judging!
Recently, I attended a Zoom presentation sponsored by the American Jewish Committee San Francisco entitled, “Judging Implicit Bias: The Role of Implicit Bias in Judicial Decision-making.”
Southern Maryland CMC’s Support Conversations on Race and Privilege
Constructive dialogue is essential in our world today, and indeed, transformative. It has the ability to open our eyes to the pain of others as well as our own.