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ADR in Legal Education: The Promise of 21st Century Skills

ADR in Legal Education: The Promise of 21st Century Skills
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Technology is one of the main factors challenging the 21st century job market. With a new wave of automatization just around the corner, one of the main questions a lot of professions will have in common is: what can professionals do, that machines cannot? One of the answers to this question relates to the increased attention given at international level to soft skills in education. These skills include empathy, communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity, to mention a few.  

Maastricht University’s Law Faculty has been trying to innovate the way in which legal education is delivered in the 21st century, through its inherent pedagogy (Problem-Based Learning) as well as out-of-the-classroom education such as moot court competitions and legal clinics. One of the activities undertaken in this respect is the WeMediate course, a SURF Net supported online course designed for the development of 21st century skills through mediation simulations. This course uses professional content made by well-renowned invited mediators from around the world, and aims to make students aware of the potential of mediation for the development of their interpersonal communication skills. Still, mediation is only one type of Alternative Dispute Resolution which may be interesting for universities to adopt; arbitration, as well as negotiation could play a much more central role in the creation of a future professional.

The aim of this conference is to bring together educators, researchers, professionals, alumni and students, to engage in a meaningful dialogue regarding the future of legal education, using ADR as a means to deliver significant skills to future graduates. On a more practical note, we hope to nurture discussions that can lead to palpable plans for how legal education can be innovated.

Draft programme

09:15-09:45 Coffee and registration
09:45-10:00 Opening Bram Akkermans (Maastricht University)
10:00-11:30 Plenary Session Panel: ADR in Legal Education (with Q&As)
  Bram Akkermans (Maastricht University) - moderator
  Linda Reijerkerk (Centrum voor Conflichthantering)
  Jonathan Lloyd-Jones (Independent Mediators)
  Diana Wallis (University of Hull)
  Ben Thomson (CEDR)
  Maryam Salehijam (Gent University)
11:30-12:00 Keynote: Gwen Noteborn (Maastricht University)
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-13:45 Breakout sessions (part 1)
Participants can choose which session to attend; the purpose of these sessions is to facilitate small group engagement and discussions.
  Session 1. How to use online tools for mediation/ADR education?
  Bram Akkermans, Gwen Noteborn & Catalina Goanta (Maastricht University)
  Session 2. The benefits of ADR education for legal practice
  Bas van Zelst (Maastricht University)
  Session 3. Towards a culture of public service
  Mark Kawakami, Kim Berg (Maastricht University) & Mardoeka Christensen (Trajekt)
13:45-14:30 Breakout sessions (part 2)
Participants can choose which session to attend; the purpose of these sessions is to facilitate small group engagement and discussions.
  Session 1. How to use online tools for mediation/ADR education?
  Bram Akkermans, Gwen Noteborn & Catalina Goanta (Maastricht University)
  Session 2. The benefits of ADR education for legal practice
  Bas van Zelst (Maastricht University)
  Session 3. Towards a culture of public service
  Mark Kawakami, Kim Berg (Maastricht University) & Mardoeka Christensen (Trajekt)
14:30-15:00 Coffee break
15:00-15:30 Moti Mironi (Haifa University)
15:30-17:00 Concluding plenary session:
  Nicole Kornet (Maastricht University) - moderator
  Tabitha van den Berg (Mediation Amsterdam)
  Aled Davies (mediatoracademy.com)
  Elles Ramakers (Maastricht University)
  Julietta Marotta (Maastricht University)
  Mikel Irrujo (Government of Navarra, Spain)
17:00-17:15 Closing remarks: Jan Smits (Maastricht University)
17:15-18:30 Networking cocktail

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