Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3059: Alternative Dispute Resolution

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Lecture 1 Introduction: An Overview of ADR

Lecture 2 The history of the ADR movement and its place in traditional litigation

Lecture 3: The use and application of Negotiation, Mediation and Arbitration.

Lecture 4: Negotiation and introduction to mediation

Lecture 5: Mediation skills and structure

Workshop 1: How is ADR different from traditional litigation? Are we moving towards a culture of settlement?

Practical 1: Negotiation skills practical

Lecture 6: Mediation in the Civil Courts

Practical 2: The techniques of mediation: what is a mediation?

Lecture 7: Civil mediation (cont.)

Lecture 8: Guest speaker

Lecture 9: Mediation in the criminal courts: the use of restorative justice / victim offender mediation (VOM)

Workshop 2: What are the constitutional objections to court-ordered mediation? Are current measures sufficient to encourage parties to mediate?

Lecture 10: Restorative Justice (cont.) - the role of the victim

Lecture 11: Guest speaker on RJ

Lecture 12: The use and application of on-line dispute resolution

Lecture 13: Introduction to family mediation: types, processes and outcomes

Lecture 14: Who is really in charge? Issues of power and control in family mediation (Liz)

Lecture 15: Guest speaker on family law

Lecture 16: Children in mediation: direct and indirect consultation

Workshop 3: What are the advantages and disadvantages of collaborative law in family cases? Is collaborative law really that new, or that different? Why might the family court be a better or worse forum for ADR than other courts or tribunals?

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
26.5123.5

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities2211 x 2 hour Lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities4.53 x 1.5 hour Workshops
Guided independent study57Individual reading and lecture preparation
Guided independent study19.5Workshop Preparation
Guided independent study40Assessment Preparation
Guided independent study 7Formative Assessment

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Other Learning Resources

ADR Group - http://www.adrgroup.co.uk
CEDR - http://www.cedr.co.uk
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (http://www.arbitrators.org)