WELCOME TO ACR UPDATE—the monthly e-newsletter sharing important conflict resolution news and organizational updates with ACR members. Your feedback is welcome!

To view this issue online, go to: http://www.ACRnet.org/publications/acrupdate.htm

OVERVIEW OF ARTICLES
December 1, 2006

1. ACR Adopts Resolution on the Unauthorized Practice of Law
2. ACR Kicks Off 2006-07 Member-Get-A-Member Campaign
3. ACR Teleseminar on Cross-Cultural Communication: December 13, 2006
4. ACR Marketing Teleseminar CDs Available Now
5. Sections Update: Join Section Listservs; Health Care and Workplace Section News
6. Chapters Update: Greater New York and DC Chapters; Get Involved in ACR Chapters!
7. Quotations
8. Message from our Sponsors: Mediate.com and Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System (WSEMS)

At its October 23–24, 2006 meeting, ACR’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution regarding the unauthorized practice of law. To read the resolution and learn more about ACR’s unauthorized practice of law work, please visit: http://www.acrnet.org/about/initiatives/publicpolicy/upl.htm.

The Association for Conflict Resolution Presents: 

“Translating Conflict Resolution: Cross-cultural Communication in Japan and Hong Kong”

A Teleseminar by Kathryn Liss

December 13, 2006

1:00–2:00 p.m. EST

(Based on the article of the same title appearing in the Summer 2006 ACResolution)

To RSVP for this teleseminar, please send an email by December 11 to Cross-cultural@ACRnet.org. You will receive an auto-reply with dial-in number, protocol information and password instructions.

This teleseminar is a free ACR member benefit. It is only open to current members of ACR.

If you have any questions, please contact Andy Levin at 202-464-9700 ext. 211, or by email at alevin@ACRnet.org.

Program Synopsis

In the last year, Kathryn Liss had the opportunity to spend two weeks in both Hong Kong and Japan teaching conflict resolution. With a background in cross-cultural communication, she came away with some ideas about how cultural norms around conflict impact the styles of conflict resolution and the steps which can be taken to be effective conflict resolvers in these cultures. Please join Kathryn for an interactive presentation about her experiences using the American styles inventory, approaches to conflict resolution in other cultures and more.

Presenter Bio

For the last four years Kathryn Liss has worked for American Friends Service Committee, first as national coordinator for the Help Increase the Peace Program and now as interim director for the Youth Empowerment through Conflict Resolution program. Prior to that, she was the director of training for a mediation center in North Carolina for nine years. Kathryn has taught conflict resolution, mediation and facilitation for over 25 years in a variety of settings. She has a master’s degree in intercultural communication from the School for International Training. Kathryn lived in Kenya for a year and arranged exchanges with the former Soviet Union for seven years, traveling back and forth frequently, including teaching conflict resolution there in 1996. In the last 18 months, she has taught conflict resolution in Hong Kong and Japan.

Interested in participating in a teleconference? Send an email to sections at ACRnet dot org to receive dial-in instructions. Please note: most Section teleconferences are a Section member benefit. To join a Section, log in to ACR’s Online Member Center, click on “My Account History,” then “Add Sections,” and select the Sections you want to add.

ACR Marketing Teleseminar CDs Available Now

Each CD is just $12.00 for ACR Members ($18.00 per CD for non-ACR Members). All shipping charges are included. For a short time only, ACR members can order all three CDs for only $30 (shipping included for orders shipped to U.S. addresses). Ordering information is included below.

“Entrepreneurship for Neutrals” by V. Michelle Obradovic

In this interactive presentation, V. Michelle Obradovic speaks about the vast array of experiences that have gone into building her successful mediation practice. Michelle covers a variety of topics in this hour-long program, including: identifying your market, what to anticipate as you begin your practice, and the ups-and-downs of the entrepreneurial cycle.

“A Mediator’s Approach to Marketing” by Forrest Mosten and Diana Mercer

This hour-long program was originally presented as a teleseminar by Forrest Mosten and Diana Mercer on June 15, 2006. Listen as Forrest and Diana—both authors of articles in the Spring 2006 issue of ACResolution—discuss their time-tested methods of marketing, suggest strategies for building a successful mediation practice and share tips for attracting new clients.

“Ten Ways to Promote Your Mediation Practice Inexpensively, Ethically and With Dignity” by Bruce Blitman

In an hour-long teleseminar that aired on July 7, 2006, Bruce Blitman presents his top ten tips on marketing your mediation practice. Listen as Bruce shares anecdotes from the thousands of mediations he has conducted, recommends strategies and approaches to promoting your practice, and addresses questions submitted by listeners.

To Order Teleseminar CDs: Please download and fill out a product order form and mail or fax with payment information to: Association for Conflict Resolution, 1015 18^th St. NW, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20036, or call the ACR office for assistance: 202-464-9700.

Don’t forget to check out ACR’s other store items, including books, reports, training videos and ACR merchandise: http://www.acrnet.org/library/catalogue.htm .

Stay current and connect with ACR Section Listservs! ACR is pleased to announce the launch of Section Listservs. You now have the ability to communicate and share ideas with your fellow Section members with the click of a button. To join your Section’s listserv, go to http://ACRnet.org/phplist/listservs_rules_etiquette.htm, read the listserv requirements and click on the listserv sign up link. It’s that easy!

Benefits of Section Listservs

• A fast and easy way to find out about ideas and trends in your profession
• In-depth discussion on topics of interest to Section members
• Greater networking capability and open dialogue
• Ability to search for a particular topics and read postings from discussions that have already taken place.
• A way to share events, conferences and employment opportunities.

Health Care Section Teleseminars: Save the Dates

“Mediating Medical Malpractice Lawsuits” will be presented by Chris Stern Hyman, J.D. on Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 3 p.m. EST/ 12:00 noon PST.

Chris Stern Hyman, J.D. conducted a study with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation to mediate medical malpractice lawsuits and measure the participants’ satisfaction with mediation. In the teleconference Chris will discuss the data from the study, including: 
- number of cases mediated;
- outcome of the mediations;
- satisfaction of the participants;
- connection of settlement with apology. 

She will describe some of the cases to illustrate relevant findings and answer questions about the study and its findings.

Chris Stern Hyman is a health care lawyer and a mediator. In 1998, she formed Medical Mediation Group LLC with Marc Fleisher, J.D., which provides mediation services to resolve disputes in health care. Medical Mediation Group conducts trainings and mediates medical malpractice lawsuits and other conflicts arising in health care facilities. Chris was co-principal investigator for the Demonstration Mediation and ADR Project of the Project on Medical Liability in Pennsylvania and principal investigator of the New York City Pilot Project for Mediation of Medical Malpractice Claims funded by a grant to Columbia Law School. She can be reached at cshyman@nymedicalmediation.com.

To participate, send an email to HCdec06@ACRnet.org. The PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded from the ACR Healthcare Section at www.mediate.com/acrhealthcare/pg9.cfm . If for any reason you do not receive the presentation at that time, please send a second email to sections@ACRnet.org or contact Health Care Section Chair Jetta Todaro (jetta@sbcglobal.net). 

The teleconferences are free. However, you must be a member of the Health Care Section to participate. Good news: it takes less than a minute to join online and costs only $15 for ACR Members. Just contact ACR’s Membership Department at membership@ACRnet.org, or log into the Online Member Center, click on “My Account History,” and click on “Add Sections.”      

2007 Health Care Section Teleseminars

• Wednesday January 17, 2007: “Highlights of the Medicare Mediation Program,” presented by Jetta Todaro, M.A. and Pat Shanahan, MBA

• Tuesday February 13, 2007: “Medical-Legal Partnership: Integrating Preventative Law and Preventative Medicine,” presented by Lauren Smith, M.D., MPH and Ellen Lawton, Esq.

Workplace Section News

The ACR Workplace Section Leadership is pleased to announce new developments evolving from the October 2006 ACR Annual Conference in Philadelphia.

Based on feedback from Workplace Section Committee Leaders and those attending the Workplace Section Business Meeting at the Annual Conference, the desire to build collaborative alliances with reputable educational institutions and other professional organizations was a clear and strong message! Workplace Section Tri-Chair leadership for the coming year, under the initiative of new Tri-Chair Mike McDowell, actively pursued affiliation with Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative (HNII) for educational opportunities on behalf of Workplace Section membership. This is a prestigious opportunity for affiliation as HNII is part of the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation, and offers Workplace Section members’ significant discounts. Learn more at www.mediate.com/acrworkplace.

ACR Greater New York Chapter Book Discussion and Potluck

The Greater New York Chapter of ACR will continue its series of book discussions on Tuesday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m. EST.  Please join them as they discuss “Bringing Peace into the Room: How the Personal Qualities of the Mediator Impact the Process of Conflict Resolution,” edited by Daniel Bowling and David Hoffman.  The price of admission is food or drink to share. For more information, please visit http://www.ACRgny.org.

ACR Greater New York Chapter: First Annual Holiday Party December 13  

ACR Greater New York Chapter will have its First Annual Holiday Party on December 13.  Come and meet your peers. Bring a friend who may not know about ACR-GNY. Enjoy refreshments, networking and fun. For more information, please visit http://www.ACRgny.org.

Washington, D.C. Chapter Hosts Annual Holiday Fete December 13

Join the DC Chapter of ACR for its Annual Holiday Fete on December 13.  The Chapter will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Charles Sumner School Museum to join in good company, a good cause and good cheer.  Entry is a donation of a non-perishable food item.  Also, the Chapter will raffle off a one-year membership to ACR, so be sure to drop off your business card and $10.00.  All food donations and money collected will go to the Capital Area Food Bank. RSVP to dcacrmessage@comcast.net  by December 11.  For more information, please visit http://www.mediate.com/ACRdc

Get Involved in ACR Chapters!

Looking to find a network of peers in your area?  Look into Chapters!

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