Conflict Resolution

Advanced Problem-Solving Strategies

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Litigation

Urban Projects

Nov 08, 2015 | by Joe Markowitz | 0 comment

Streetsblog There is a half-finished Target store in my neighborhood that stands as a perfect metaphor for the problems with using litigation as a means of resolving developers’ and the community’s interests in urban projects. With construction halted because of claimed height violations, the unfinished building has been left in limbo. The community now has to live with something that is ugly; that is enormously wasteful; and that has been sitting there unfinished for a long time. Its continued unresolved status satisfies neither those opposed nor those in favor of the project. I used that metaphor while introducing one of the workshops at the SCMA fall conference yesterday, a workshop on urban projects organized by Noah Stein. The panel brought […]

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Negotiation

Bridge of Spies

Nov 03, 2015 | by Joe Markowitz | 0 comment

The new Cold War thriller Bridge of Spies, based on the true story of the prisoner exchange for captured U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, shows an attorney living up to the highest standards of advocacy as well as negotiating ability. The movie’s lawyer-hero, James Donovan (played by Tom Hanks) is first seen as a typical insurance company lawyer making clever legal arguments about whether an accident involving five motorcyclists should be considered a single “incident.” Even when doing that, however, Donovan is able to impress by tying those arguments to a higher purpose. When Donovan is asked to defend accused Russian spy Rudolf Abel, he takes his ethical responsibilities, and his devotion to the Constitution and to his client’s interests, […]

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Non-Litigated Disputes

Car wars

Nov 01, 2015 | by Joe Markowitz | 2 comments

An ongoing contentious conflict in Los Angeles, that affects every resident, is the conflict between automobile drivers and other users of the city’s public spaces. This city, which has been designed in deference to the automobile since the 1920’s, is facing new challenges from pedestrian, bicycle and public transit advocates seeking to reclaim a larger share of the city streets. Surprisingly, and without much public attention, this car-centric city has already adopted a new policy giving substantial ground to these advocates. By a 12-2 vote, the City Council recently adopted what is called the Mobility Plan 2035, which calls, among other things, for putting many city streets on a “road diet” to allow more room for bicycle lanes and sidewalks. A few […]

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Non-Litigated Disputes

Quartet

Oct 13, 2015 | by Joe Markowitz | 1 comment

Tunisia, where the Arab Spring started, is also the first country to emerge from its revolution with a genuine commitment to democracy and the rule of law. This outcome may be attributable in large part to the work of the National Dialogue Quartet, a group composed of four organizations: the General Labor Union; the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts; the Tunisian Human Rights League; and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers. When Tunisia appeared in danger of falling into civil war, these organizations banded together and persuaded the Islamist and other parties to agree to a framework for negotiations that would lead to a more legitimate and pluralistic government. The quartet’s work illustrates two techniques favored by mediators: (1) acceptance […]

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