On November 8, 2024, the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution (CJCR) hosted the Melnick Symposium, "Is Mediation A Sleeping Beauty?", sparking deep reflection on the role of mediation today. It was inspired by the 10th Anniversary of the 2014 CJCR Symposium by the same name. This Symposium was a capstone event for a series of international conferences that Professors Lela P. Love and Giuseppe De Palo hosted in Trento, Hong Kong, Doha, Sao Paulo, Hague, Netherlands, and Istanbul.
The Sleeping Beauty symposium included four panels that brought together global experts to reflect on mediation’s past, present, and future.
The first panel included Zachary Calo, professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha, Diego Faleck, founder of Faleck & Associados, Ana Sambold, Mediator, ADR Services, and Srđan Šimac, judge and former President of the High Commercial Court of the Republic of Croatia, addressed whether mediation is truly awake, alive, and growing. Speakers discussed the appeal of mediation to the general public and the implementation and utilization of a variety of mediation programs in their respective jurisdictions around the world.
The second panel included James Coben, senior fellow in Mitchell Hamline's Dispute Resolution Institute, Tat Lim, international mediator at Maxwell Mediators Singapore, Ivana Ninčić Österle, executive director of the International Mediation Institute and Nancy Welsh, Texas A&M University School of Law professor. Panelists discussed whether mediation is fulfilling its historic promise. Here panelists discussed what is happening under the banner of “mediation” and how mediation is evaluated in their respective jurisdictions, including policies, practices, and training.
The third panel explored the realities, expectations, and concerns surrounding the use of technology in Alternative Dispute Resolution. From efficiency gains to ethical dilemmas, panelists examined the potential impact and the challenges of continuing to integrate tech into conflict resolution processes. Speakers included Giuseppe De Palo, JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator, Felix Steffek, Professor of Law at University of Cambridge, Noam Ebner, professor at Creighton University, and Colin Rule, President and CEO of odr.com, discussed the waves of change and areas of promise.
The event concluded with remarks from Joyce Aluoch, Judge of the High Court of Kenya, Katarina Mansson, human rights and political affairs officer at the United Nations, Carrie Menkel-Meadow, professor at UC Irving School of Law, and Nokukhanya Nox Ntuli, South African lawyer, mediator, trainer and process facilitator.