Center for Negotiation & Dispute Resolution
Shaping the future of dispute resolution
The Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) offers superior education and cutting-edge scholarship in dispute resolution to law students, attorneys, judges, practitioners, and international visitors. In the heart of San Francisco, steps away from Federal and State Courts, CNDR collaborates on projects and events with non-profits, commercial ADR providers, and government agencies.
CNDR has been consistently recognized by US News & World Report as one of the Top ADR Programs in the country, was the winner of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Education Award by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2007 and 2018, and, was winner of the prestigious Louise Otis Award for Excellence in Mediation Education in 2011 and 2013 by the International Competition for Mediation Advocacy.
Lawyers from all over the world come to UC Law SF to study ADR, citing the wide selection of dispute resolution courses and its international reputation among practitioners.
Connect with CNDR
*NEW* Physical Address: 198 McAllister Street, Suite 230, San Francisco, CA 94102
Mailing Address: 200 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Contact us: CNDR@uclawsf.edu or call 415.581.8941
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What We Do
CNDR offers a wide range of courses and experiential learning opportunities for UC Law SF students, as well as interactive training for practitioners.
In addition, CNDR has partnered with local courts and other professional ADR organizations to give students real-world opportunities to learn and practice their dispute resolution skills.
CNDR also participates in many innovative conferences and events that keep our program on the forefront of the dispute resolution community.
Click the links to the right for more information.
CNDR offers comprehensive basic and advanced mediation and ADR training for practitioners, judges, attorneys, and the general public. With a large team of professors and ADR professionals, CNDR can offer specialized training to groups and organizations. Contact us with inquiries, or to volunteer, at 415.581.8941 or CNDR@uclawsf.edu.
Sample past trainings:
- Mastering the Fundamentals, Basic Mediation Certification
- Mediation for HR Professionals
- International Cross Border Family Mediation
- Spanish Mediation
- Advanced Mediation Training
- Mastering the Difficult Negotiation
- Practice of Conflict Coaching
- Stealth Facilitation
As a leader in the field, CNDR regularly attends or hosts various educational conferences and events throughout the year. Some of our past and regular events:
- Northern California ADR Faculty Conference
- ADR Around the World Annual Panel
- eDiscovery Symposium
- Online Dispute Resolution and Hackathon
- ABA Asia Pacific Mediation Summit
- Rwanda Mediation Fundraiser
- American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Conference
- Lie to Me (Lie Detection) Conference
If you have an idea for a us, or are interested in attending an event, please reach out to us at CNDR@uclawsf.edu!
CNDR has a strong history of teaching individuals and governments from abroad about how to successfully implement ADR programs in their courts and communities. Learn more about our international teaching and work around the world here.
Each year, one-third of UC Law SF students take CNDR’s dispute resolution courses, including 20 sections of negotiation, and numerous advanced courses. J.D. students may obtain a Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution concentration, and LL.M.s may specialize in Dispute Resolution and Legal Process.
Some of our course offerings:
- Negotiation and Settlement
- Mediation
- Arbitration
- Facilitation
- Effective Representative in Mediation
- International Business Negotiation
- Lie Detection, Emotion, and Mindfulness
- Advanced Dispute Resolution: Culture, Identity, and Discrimination
- Advanced Negotiation: Dealmaking
Students in the UC Law SF Mediation Clinic serve as the “Mediation Department” for the Superior Court of San Francisco Small Claims Court, offering free and immediate mediation to self-represented litigants who appear for trial.
Student teams also mediate discrimination cases on behalf of the State of California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
In addition, through the Mediation Observation Program, Clinic students have the opportunity to shadow mediation professionals.
The ADR Externship Program through CNDR is for advanced dispute resolution students who want an in-depth practical experience and an opportunity for research, process observation, and assessment.
Sample Placements:
- San Francisco Superior Court
- The California Mediation and Conciliation Service
- SEEDS Community Resolution Center
- Community Boards San Francisco
- Arts Arbitration and Mediation Service at California Lawyers for the Arts
- US District Court for the Northern District of California ADR Program
- San Francisco ACCESS Program
- United States Deptartent of Justice Community Relations Service
- Alameda County Superior Court ADR Program
The UC Law SF Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Team travels domestically and internationally to compete in negotiation and mediation competitions. UC Law SF has earned the superlative reputation as the team to beat at the dispute resolution competitions it enters. The Team provides students with regular opportunities to practice and hone their negotiation and mediation skills.
Upcoming Events
Mastering the Fundamentals of Mediation Certificate Training 2025
CNDR’s in-person, comprehensive 40-hour mediation certification training providing a unique blend of mediation theory, hands-on skills training, and an exploration of the sensibilities and personal qualities required to be an effective mediator. Hosted annual at UC Law San Francisco.
Recent Events
Catch up on CNDR’s virtual and recorded events – watch and listen for free!
Director Purcell on Turkish Podcast
Interview from the conflict resolution podcast We Can Find a Way, by Idil Elveris, a former student from CNDR’s International Court ADR Institute. Director Purcell discusses creating one of the first court ADR programs in the country; the importance of connecting people and focusing on the design of a system; creation of the Institute course; the Center’s many opportunities for experiential learning, and, how technology will lead the future of ADR.
New Frontiers in ADR: Grande Lum
CNDR’s New Frontiers Series brings you Grande Lum, co-author of “America’s Peacemakers,” Provost of Menlo College, and former Director of CNDR. This book tells the story of The Community Relations Service (CRS), a federal agency within the DOJ that assists and mediates in communities as they reconcile and recover from discrimination, hate crimes, and unrest based on issues like race and religion. Provost Lum was Director of CRS under the Obama Administration.
New Frontiers in ADR: John Lande
CNDR’s New Frontiers Series brings you Professor Lande discussing how to go beyond traditional mediation labels, and explore using techniques from both positional and interest based models of risk assessment in complementary ways to more effectively meet clients needs, and help them move through disputes. Based on his new book, “Litigation Interest and Risk Assessment: Help Your Clients Make Good Litigation Decisions.”
New Frontiers in ADR: Susan Stone & David Cherniss
CNDR’s New Frontiers Series brings you a conversation with Susan Stone and David Cherniss on their innovative past and present Restorative Justice programs in San Francisco and San Mateo, CA. With a focus on system design, integration, sustainability, we will explore the evolution of Restorative Practices in Juvenile Justice, and concluded with a conversation that envisions how courts and dispute resolution might look in a post-2020 world.
Book Party: Dispute System Design
Online book party to celebrate the release of “Dispute System Design: Preventing, Managing, and Resolving Conflict” by Lisa Blomgren, Janet K. Martinez, and Stephanie E. Smith. A labor of love and expertise, this new textbook draws from its authors decades of experience to show how dispute systems can be designed to effect change within all types of organizations and across issues, through both theory and practice.
CNDR in the News
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CNDR Professors Travel to Kosovo To Aid in Curricular Reform
September 29, 2022
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Our Faculty and Staff
Hiro Aragaki
Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
View Hiro Aragaki’s Profile
Mattie Robertson
Deputy Director of CNDR, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law
View Mattie Robertson’s Profile
Thalia González
Professor of Law and Harry & Lillian Hastings Research Chair, Co-Director of the Center for Racial and Economic Justice
View Thalia González’s Profile
Sally Harpole
Affiliated Scholar, International Arbitrator and Mediator
View Sally Harpole’s Profile
Gail Silverstein
Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Co-Director of Public Interest and the Social Justice Center, and Clinical Professor
View Gail Silverstein’s Profile
Clint Waasted
Director of Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Team and Professor of Practice
View Clint Waasted’s Profile
Over a third of the student body takes an elective course through CNDR each year. We are shaping the future of dispute resolution and we invite you to join us. – Sheila Purcell, Former CNDR Director and UC Law SF class of ’86