Category Archives: Perspectives

Green Book’s insights into a deeper diversity

Abraham Lincoln had a simple approach to achieving diversity: “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” Recently, my wife and I saw the movie Green Book, which has since won an Oscar for best movie of the year. The movie presents the true story of an episode in the life of Dr. Don Shirley, a …

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How a priest helped shape a lawyer and mediator. Remembering the pastor of my youth.

When people think about what goes into the training of a lawyer and a mediator, the contribution of one’s pastor is probably not on the list of ingredients. There’s law school, there’s training and direction from veteran lawyers, reading laws, cases, court decisions and continuing legal education, all shaping the legal mind. But the people our lives cross paths with …

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What happens when you don’t do what the situation calls for…? (whether resolving disputes or coaching the Patriots in the Super Bowl)

Every year, the Super Bowl provides us with great lessons and a great game. This year was no exception as the Patriots and Eagles played in an exciting shootout that literally came down to the last play. But the game’s outcome may have been decided by something other than who had the last chance to score. It’s easy to be …

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If You Want Your “Day in Court”, Don’t Go to Court

“I want my day in court.” This is one of the most frequent desires and sentiments expressed by a new client in our initial conversation about their legal dispute.   Here are some other common emotional responses when someone finds themselves in a dispute: “I want justice to be done.”  “The other side has to pay for what he/she/it did to …

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Posted in Collaborative Law, Collaborative Mediation, conflict, Dispute Resolution Process, Dispute Resolution Resources, Efficient dispute resolution, Employment Disputes, Employment Law, Perspectives, Preserving Relationships, resolution, Respect and civility, Settlement Counsel, Workplace Disputes | Comments Off

Replacing the Affordable Care Act; How to NOT Resolve Disputes

President Trump and his team gave us a quick course on how not to resolve a dispute in their efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA, a.k.a. Obamacare).  Their effort and its shortcomings help to show the importance of four key ingredients to approaching dispute resolution to get a good result. Most Americans agree that the ACA has shortcomings …

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Posted in Collaborative Law, Collaborative Mediation, Common Ground, conflict, Conflict partnering process, Consensus, Creative Solutions, Dispute Resolution Process, Dispute Resolution Resources, Perseverance, Perspectives, Primary Dispute Resolution (PDR), Respect and civility, teamwork, trust | Comments Off

Navajo Dispute Resolution, Trump’s Tweets and the Lessons of Little Big Horn

I recently read a Daily Good story about Navajo Indian peacemaking, a seven-step process focused on restoring relationships, a notion the Navajo refer to as “K’e”.  This approach has four foundational values, the four Rs: Respect, Relationships, Responsibility, and Reverence.  Some of the tenets of this approach to resolving disputes include the shared goal of reaching the best possible outcome …

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Posted in America First, American Indian, Custer & Union Army, Dispute Resolution Counsel, Dispute Resolution Resources, Little Big Horn, Michael Zeytoonian, Native Americans, Navajo, Perspectives, Settlement Counsel or Mediator, Trump's Tweets | Comments Off

A word about “Good Counsel”

The first thing I noticed when I walked onto the campus of my law school was a beautiful stone chapel and the sign in front of it with its name: Our Lady of Good Counsel. It turned out that the law school shared the grounds with Our Lady of Good Counsel School. The chapel greeted people as they came up …

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Getting your day in court – what does it really mean? And how can we get it for you?

“I want my day in court.” “I was wronged and something’s got to be done about it. We need to fix this.” “What happened to me wasn’t right and wasn’t fair.  I want some justice.”  “I want the other side to feel some pain.  I want some vengeance.” I often hear these sentiments in my initial phone call or meeting …

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What if we extend these “Season’s Greetings” into how we resolve disputes?

Joy to the World.  Good tidings and light.  Shalom. The wonder and awe of a special birth of a child.  Peace on earth; good will toward men.  Heavenly peace.  Holy night.  Gloria, in excelsis Deo.  Star of Wonder; star of Light. A new year, a new beginning.  A throne of justice and righteousness.  Good cheer.  Rejoice.  Allah be praised.  Wisdom …

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Tale #1: Using or Not Using Primary Care Lawyers

If they only had a Primary Care Lawyer before they … Our last blog post discussed the value of having a Primary Care Lawyer (a “PCL”).  It makes sense having a lawyer you trust who knows you, your business, your hopes and aspirations, work and family situation, and who can help you navigate through the often tricky waters of workplace, …

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Posted in pcl, Perspectives, primary care lawyer, storytelling | Comments Off