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The Power of Mediation in Safeguarding Parental Rights and Combating Neglect and Abuse in Michigan

by Philip Schaedler Introduction In the realm of family law, Michigan, like many other states, grapples with the delicate balance between protecting parental rights and ensuring the safety and well-being of children. Cases involving allegations of parental neglect and...

Michigan Court of Appeals Reverses Circuit Court Vacatur of Public Sector Labor Arbitration Award

By Lee Hornberger, Arbitrator and Mediator Introduction This article reviews Michigan Dep’t of State Police v Michigan State Police Troopers Ass’n, ___ Mich App ___, COA 363241 (December 28, 2023) (Judges Gleicher, Jansen, and Rick), app lv pdg. In Michigan Dep’t...

The Unauthorized Practice of Law in Michigan ADR – A Journey

By Michael S. Leib, Mediator and Arbitrator Introduction In 2023 I was appointed to arbitrate a matter in which an out-of-state resident was a party to the proceedings. The parties had agreed by contract to arbitrate here in Michigan and that Michigan law would...

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Laura A. Athens

Virtual Is Reality: Zoom Mediation Is Here To Stay

Joe Basta One of the few benefits of Covid may be discovery of virtual reality’s utility for dispute resolution. What was born of necessity has now become routine. Zoom[1] appears to be the default for mediation. And now that we are post-pandemic, and no longer under...

Confidently Eliminate Depositions in Arbitration through use of Written Witness Statements

Jerome F. Rock - Arbitration is proven to be more efficient and cost effective than conventional judicial litigation. Because Arbitration is consensual, it is flexible and easily adapted to the particular needs of each case. Arbitration offers a range of tools,...

Trauma-informed Care in Mediation – Part 2

Laura A. Athens - Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the May issue of the ADR Spotlight, described the types of trauma, the prevalence and impact of trauma, and provided an overview of trauma-informed care. Part 2 of this article focuses on utilizing a...

Trauma-informed Care in Mediation – Part 1

Laura A. Athens - Trauma-informed Care in Mediation – Part 1[1] by Laura A. Athens The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy, and the power to transform and resurrect. Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. Most of us have faced trauma at some point in our...

Dispositive Motions in Arbitration: Strategies and Best Practices

Harshitha Ram Dispositive motions in Arbitration A dispositive motion in litigation seeks to dispose of or resolve a claim or issue in the case without going to a full hearing. The moving party argues there are no disputed issues of material fact, and they are...

A Litigator’s Guide to Mediation Advocacy: Reflections on Effectively Achieving Client Goals at the Mediation Table – Part 2

By Sheldon J. Stark – Mediator and Arbitrator Part II This is the second part of a two-part article. Part I focused on the fundamental differences between the mediation process and other stages in the litigation process necessitating a different approach...

A Litigator’s Guide to Mediation Advocacy: Reflections on Effectively Achieving Client Goals at the Mediation Table – Part 1

By Sheldon J. Stark – Mediator and Arbitrator Part 1 This is the first of a two-part article describing the differences between effective mediation advocacy and more traditional zealous advocacy characteristic of other stages in the litigation process. Part II...

Michigan AFSCME Council 25 v Wayne Co: A saga of Steelworkers Trilogy, Michigan Family, and Gavin

By Lee Hornberger This article discusses Michigan AFSCME Council 25 v Wayne Co, unpublished opinion of Court of Appeals (COA), issued April 21, 2022, Docket Nos 356320 and 356322, lv app pdg, in light of Steelworkers Trilogy [Steelworkers v Warrior Gulf Navigation Co,...

Reflections on Civility and Ethics

By Lee Hornberger This article discusses some civility and ethical issues we experience in our professional practices. While accepting the Republican presidential nomination on July 16, 1964, Senator Barry Goldwater said: “I would remind you that extremism in the...