About Us
About Us
"Hastings has rapidly become an academic leader in the alternative dispute resolution field. The knowledge and opportunities for experience available to its students are exceptional."
- Senior Circuit Judge Dorothy W. NelsonHastings offered its first Negotiation course in 1980. As alternative processes such as negotiation, mediation and arbitration were used more and more to settle matters that were previously adjudicated, the need for training in the theory and skills of these forms of dispute resolution increased. To meet this need, Hastings established CNDR in 2003 to organize classes, research opportunities and professional programs for the study of these fundamental lawyering skills.
Over 500 Law Students Enroll in a CNDR Elective Course Each Year
Core courses, such as Arbitration, Negotiation and Mediation, immerse students in both the theoretical and the practical aspects of dispute resolution and teach the skills and law necessary for sophisticated legal practice. 
"These were the only classes that translated directly into what I do everyday.They're about real world stuff I did from the first day out until today . . . I think [ADR] should be required."
- Michael Nelson '93, Environmental & Insurance Law Drawing from an extensive database of case simulations, students play the roles of attorney, client, arbitrator or mediator while being coached by faculty members and their peers. Students learn by connecting these experiences verbally and in writing with the theory defining the field of negotiation and conflict resolution.