Beyond the Mute Button: Rethinking the Need for Physical Presence in Dispute Resolution

The pandemic has forced those involved in conflict resolution to rethink the way business is conducted.  Many have used Zoom, Teams, and other online platforms to conduct mediation, facilitation, and other forms of dispute resolution.  Sometime in the near future we hope it will be comfortable to meet again in person.  Before going back to the way business was formerly conducted, let us consider the research and think about the advantages of Virtual Meetings.  What have we learned about the types of cases that may benefit from online dispute resolution?  Are there cases, issues, or situations that are better mediated online and if yes, why? Participants: Andressa Bortolin, Mediator and Facilitator, Mediation Center of Los Angeles R. Mark Browning, Chief Judge, Circuit Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawai‘iElizabeth Kent, Mediator and Facilitator, Meeting Expectations Hawai‘iJared Lee, Mediator and FacilitatorDr. Janet Martinez, Senior Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law SchoolKatie Ranney, Special Programs Coordinator, The Mediation Center of the PacificColin Rule, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mediate.comDr. Kerrie Urosevich, Network Design & Innovation Lead, Hawai‘i’s Early Childhood Action StrategyModerator: Dr. Troy J.H. Andrade, Assistant Professor of Law, William S. Richardson School of Law