Center for Negotiation & Dispute Resolution

Shaping the future of dispute resolution

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The Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) offers superior education and cutting-edge scholarship in dispute resolution to law students, attorneys, judges, practitioners, and international visitors. In the heart of San Francisco, steps away from Federal and State Courts, CNDR collaborates on projects and events with non-profits, commercial ADR providers, and government agencies.

CNDR has been consistently recognized by US News & World Report as one of the Top ADR Programs in the country, was the winner of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Education Award by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2007 and 2018, and, was winner of the prestigious Louise Otis Award for Excellence in Mediation Education in 2011 and 2013 by the International Competition for Mediation Advocacy.

Lawyers from all over the world come to UC Law SF to study ADR, citing the wide selection of dispute resolution courses and its international reputation among practitioners.

 

Connect with CNDR

*NEW* Physical Address: 198 McAllister Street, Suite 230, San Francisco, CA 94102

Mailing Address: 200 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Contact us: CNDR@uclawsf.edu or call 415.581.8941

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What We Do

CNDR offers a wide range of courses and experiential learning opportunities for UC Law SF students, as well as interactive training for practitioners.

In addition, CNDR has partnered with local courts and other professional ADR organizations to give students real-world opportunities to learn and practice their dispute resolution skills.

CNDR also participates in many innovative conferences and events that keep our program on the forefront of the dispute resolution community.

Click the links to the right for more information.

Upcoming Events

Advanced Practitioner Mediation Training Series: Breaking Impasse: How to Close the Deal

UC Law’ San Francisco’s Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) offers high-quality dispute resolution training on in-depth topics for practitioners. This Certificate is designed to engage participants in advanced […]

Nov 15
Event Date November 15th
8:30 am – 1:00 pm
Event Location 333 Deb Colloquium and Sky Deck, 5th Floor Cotchett Law Center

Mastering the Fundamentals of Mediation Certificate Training 2025

CNDR’s in-person, comprehensive 40-hour mediation certification training providing a unique blend of mediation theory, hands-on skills training, and an exploration of the sensibilities and personal qualities required to be an effective mediator. Hosted annual at UC Law San Francisco.

Jul 14
Event Date July 14th
8:30 am
Event Location The Academe at 198 McAllister St.

Recent Events

Catch up on CNDR’s virtual and recorded events – watch and listen for free!

Visit CNDR’s YouTube Channel

View all Upcoming CNDR Events 

Director Purcell on Turkish Podcast

Interview from the conflict resolution podcast We Can Find a Way, by Idil Elveris, a former student from CNDR’s International Court ADR Institute. Director Purcell discusses creating one of the first court ADR programs in the country; the importance of connecting people and focusing on the design of a system; creation of the Institute course; the Center’s many opportunities for experiential learning, and, how technology will lead the future of ADR.

New Frontiers in ADR: Grande Lum

CNDR’s New Frontiers Series brings you Grande Lum, co-author of “America’s Peacemakers,” Provost of Menlo College, and former Director of CNDR. This book tells the story of The Community Relations Service (CRS), a federal agency within the DOJ that assists and mediates in communities as they reconcile and recover from discrimination, hate crimes, and unrest based on issues like race and religion. Provost Lum was Director of CRS under the Obama Administration.

New Frontiers in ADR: John Lande

CNDR’s New Frontiers Series brings you Professor Lande discussing how to go beyond traditional mediation labels, and explore using techniques from both positional and interest based models of risk assessment in complementary ways to more effectively meet clients needs, and help them move through disputes. Based on his new book, “Litigation Interest and Risk Assessment: Help Your Clients Make Good Litigation Decisions.”

New Frontiers in ADR: Susan Stone & David Cherniss

CNDR’s New Frontiers Series brings you a conversation with Susan Stone and David Cherniss on their innovative past and present Restorative Justice programs in San Francisco and San Mateo, CA. With a focus on system design, integration, sustainability, we will explore the evolution of Restorative Practices in Juvenile Justice, and concluded with a conversation that envisions how courts and dispute resolution might look in a post-2020 world.

Book Party: Dispute System Design

Online book party to celebrate the release of “Dispute System Design: Preventing, Managing, and Resolving Conflict” by Lisa Blomgren, Janet K. Martinez, and Stephanie E. Smith. A labor of love and expertise, this new textbook draws from its authors decades of experience to show how dispute systems can be designed to effect change within all types of organizations and across issues, through both theory and practice.

CNDR in the News

Our Faculty and Staff

Headshot of Hiro Aragaki

Hiro Aragaki

Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
View Hiro Aragaki’s Profile

Headshot of Mattie Robertson

Mattie Robertson

Deputy Director of CNDR, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law
View Mattie Robertson’s Profile

Headshot of Karen Grayson

Karen Grayson

Senior Academic Program Coordinator of CNDR
View Karen Grayson’s Profile

Headshot of Thalia González

Thalia González

Professor of Law and Harry & Lillian Hastings Research Chair, Co-Director of the Center for Racial and Economic Justice
View Thalia González’s Profile

Headshot of Sally Harpole

Sally Harpole

Affiliated Scholar, International Arbitrator and Mediator
View Sally Harpole’s Profile

Headshot of Melissa Nelken

Melissa Nelken

The Honorable Raymond L. Sullivan Professor of Law
View Melissa Nelken’s Profile

Headshot of Sheila Purcell

Sheila Purcell

Emerita Clinical Professor and Former Director of CNDR
View Sheila Purcell’s Profile

Headshot of Gail Silverstein

Gail Silverstein

Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Co-Director of Public Interest and the Social Justice Center, and Clinical Professor
View Gail Silverstein’s Profile

Headshot of Clint Waasted

Clint Waasted

Director of Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Team and Professor of Practice
View Clint Waasted’s Profile

Over a third of the student body takes an elective course through CNDR each year. We are shaping the future of dispute resolution and we invite you to join us. – Sheila Purcell, Former CNDR Director and UC Law SF class of ’86