Alternative Dispute Resolution Week 2013

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Week at Washburn Law will expose students, practitioners, judges, and others to current and developing ADR issues. ADR developments have been focused on the areas of Mediation and Restorative Justice; presentations will build on these areas. Attendees will get a broad exposure to the various issues and applications of both mediation and restorative justice concepts in a variety of cases and practice areas.

The Monday through Thursday presentations discussed below will be at Washburn University School of Law, Room 102, from 12:10-1:00 p.m. All are invited to attend.

Monday, November 4 - The Future of Case Resolution: An Introduction

Art Thompson will discuss the current shift by the Court toward resolving case backlogs by encouraging early and regular settlement work and mediation in cases. Professor Joanne Katz will review the basics of restorative justice and its role in addressing the current status of the legal processes and backlog in the United States.

Mr. Thompson is the Dispute Resolution Coordinator for the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration. He works with courts, state government, and nonprofit organizations to establish mediation programs and other methods for resolving disputes. Previously, he worked for 16 years with the Kansas Bar Association, including an assignment staffing the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section. Mr. Thompson worked with two Kansas Supreme Court alternative dispute resolution committees in 1988 and 1992, and was appointed to the Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution in 1995 that was authorized by the Kansas Legislature. He received mediation training in 1986 at the Center for Dispute Resolution.

Professor Katz has served in a variety of roles at Missouri Western State University since 2000, including Professor of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, Coordinator of Legal Studies, and Director of the Regional Community Policing Institute. Her current scholarly work focuses on issues of restorative justice in modern society. Previously, she served as Director of Mediation Services, Farm and Ranch Mediation Service, in Prairie Village, Kansas; was an Associate Attorney at Slough, Connealy, Irwin & Madden in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1986 to 1989; and was a Staff Attorney at Kansas Legal Services in Kansas City, Kansas, from 1984 to 1986. Professor Katz is a 1984 graduate of the UMKC School of Law.

Tuesday, November 5 - Domestic Mediation

Deborah Medlock will discuss domestic case mediation, including the particular issues and concerns related to this particular type of practice in the ADR context.

Ms. Medlock works for Johnson County Court Services in Olathe, Kansas. She is president elect of Heartland Mediators Association.

Wednesday, November 6 - Introduction into Restorative Justice

Professor Joanne Katz will lead students and other attendees though an in-depth discussion and exploration of the role of restorative justice in our legal system.

Thursday, November 7 - Civil Mediation

Larry R. Rute will speak about civil mediation.

Mr. Rute is partner and co-founder of Associates in Dispute Resolution, LLC. Prior to founding ADR, he served for many years as General Counsel and Litigation Director for Kansas Legal Services, Inc., and Special Counsel and Legislative Liaison for the Midland Group. Mr. Rute was also Coordinator of Mediation Services for Midland Mediation and Settlement Services. He has mediated and arbitrated hundreds of contract, employment, personal injury and family law disputes, and has been instrumental in establishing and administering several volunteer mediation programs. As a trial attorney, Mr. Rute successfully litigated several class action civil rights matters in both state and federal court.

Friday, November 8 - Ethics in ADR (2 hour CLE)

Washburn University School of Law concludes its Alternative Dispute Resolution Week with a two hour continuing legal education (CLE) program.