The Internet Offers Diversity in Conflict Resolution Sites

As the Internet has expanded, the number of web sites related to the topic of conflict resolution has also increased dramatically. There has been a proliferation of both academic, research-oriented sites and consumer-oriented sites. The two web sites that I will review in this month's column illustrate the diversity of sites that fall within the conflict resolution rubric.

MyCounsel.com at http://www.mycounsel.com is designed to provide legal services to consumers quickly and affordably. I happened upon this site because among the legal services provided is consultation on disputes that are often most successfully handled through conflict resolution processes such as mediation: neighbor disputes, contractor disputes, and small claims disputes. A user of MyCounsel.com seeking advice in regard to a dispute can register online and expect to consult with an attorney, online or offline, within 48 hours. The fee for the initial consultation is $75.00 and includes an assessment of the legal claim and suggestions on ways to resolve the problem. Any further work done by the attorney beyond the initial one hour would result in an additional fee.

The co-founders of MyCounsel.com are Stan Soper, an attorney, and Nathan Gilliland, a management consultant. The service is based in Boston, MA, and boasts of favorable recognition from the American Bar Association. The attorneys associated with the program are located throughout the country, and consumers seeking legal services are matched with attorneys in their states who are experienced in the relevant areas of law.

The section of this site that I found quite impressive was its Consumer Legal Library. The Library is divided into different legal topics such as Arrests/Charges, Bankruptcy, Consumer Rights, Elder Care, Family Law, Home/Property, Landlord/Tenant, to name a few. The Library is hypertexted, easily navigated, and permits users of the site to do their own research, whether or not they decide to register for legal services.

Researchers and students of international law and conflict resolution will find the web site, International Alternative Dispute Resolution, at http://www.internationaladr.com quite useful. The General Editor of the site is Roger Alford, an associate professor of law at Pepperdine University School of Law, an institution that has been a leader in the conflict resolution field for some time.

International ADR lacks flashy graphics and is all business, but it is easily navigated. The site provides hypertexted indexes of treaties, arbitration laws, judicial decisions and arbitral awards, institutions and rules, model clauses, arbitrators, recents articles and books, and upcoming conferences, events and seminars.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic