Today’s legal system incorporates many modes of dispute resolution and requires lawyers to have proficiency in litigation and non-litigation methods to resolve client disputes. A competent 21st century lawyer must be able to talk to and counsel clients about all of these possible dispute resolution approaches. Further, lawyers with a sophisticated understanding of how these processes work and what remedies they can (and cannot) provide, will be able to strategize and advocate effectively for their clients.
Concentration Features/Requirements
1. Who may participate: This concentration is available to full- and part-time J.D. students currently enrolled at Boyd.
2. Faculty supervisors: Professor Thomas Main, Professor Lydia Nussbaum, Professor Jeff Stempel, Professor Pat Chapin, Professor Aparna Polavarapu
3. Minimum number of credits: 15
4. Minimum average GPA in all dispute resolution courses: 3.0*
5. Minimum grade in each dispute resolution course: 2.7**
6. Paper requirement: All concentration students are required to write a paper in a subject area that is relevant to this concentration (litigation and/or non-litigation approaches to dispute resolution). That is, the paper should discuss the processes by which certain legal disputes are or should be resolved, rather than focusing purely on substantive law. Students may want to focus on lawyering -- how lawyers can best help their clients resolve certain kinds of disputes. Or, students may want to focus on systems that legislatures, courts, agencies or others set up to facilitate the resolution of certain kinds of disputes. They can write such a paper in any course, including a course that is not itself part of the concentration. It is the responsibility of the student to find a course, law review note, directed research, or other opportunity through which they can fulfill the paper requirement for this concentration.
7. Dispute Resolution Colloquium attendance: At least four Dispute Resolution Colloquium sessions will be held each year, at which talks on dispute resolution topics will be given by faculty or students. Those students seeking to complete the concentration must attend at least four of these sessions during their time at Boyd.
8. Paper presentation: All students seeking to fulfill this concentration must make a presentation of their paper, prior to graduation, in the manner required by their faculty supervisor.
Application for Dispute Resolution Concentration
All students interested in recognition for completing the concentration must complete an online form here (login required) no later than second-to-last semester at Boyd.
List of Courses
Litigation courses
(students must complete courses totaling at least six credit hours)
- Administrative Law
- Advanced Advocacy
- Bankruptcy Litigation
- Basic Bankruptcy
- Civil Discovery
- Conflict of Laws
- Criminal Evidence
- Criminal Procedure – Adjudication
- Criminal Procedure - Investigation
- Evidence
- Evidence Skills
- Externship with Attorney General, City Attorney, District Attorney, Public Defender, or for a judge
- Federal Courts
- Insurance
- Opening and Closing Statements
- Pretrial Litigation (Civil)
- Pretrial Litigation (Criminal)
- Psychology and Lawyering (cannot also be counted as a non-litigation course)
- Remedies
- Trial Advocacy
Non-litigation courses
(students must complete courses totaling at least six credit hours)
- ADR in Employment Law
- Arbitration Law and Practice
- Mediation/Mediation Essentials
- Mediation Clinic/Mediation Practicum
- Mediation Advocacy/Representation
- Negotiation
- Negotiation and the Litigated Case
- Negotiation for Business Lawyers
- Negotiation for Workplace Lawyers
- Parking Arbitration Practicum
- Psychology and Lawyering (cannot also be counted as a litigation course)
- Restorative Justice Seminar
- Any other Special Topics courses that include significant exposure to alternative dispute resolution theories
*This average GPA must be obtained in all the courses used to fulfill the concentration requirements.
**If a student obtains a lower grade in a dispute resolution course they are not precluded from completing the concentration but must take another course in which they get at least a 2.7 to meet the concentration requirements.
**If a student obtains a lower grade in a dispute resolution course they are not precluded from completing the concentration but must take another course in which they get at least a 2.7 to meet the concentration requirements.