Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) refers to any means of resolving disputes outside of the courtroom. It includes skills such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and facilitated dialogue and often appeals in particular to students who enjoy problem solving and ‘thinking outside of the box.’ Harvard Law School has a particularly rich legacy of dispute resolution pedagogy and pioneers of the field, including Roger Fisher and Frank Sander.

In this area of our website, you can find descriptions of ADR courses developed by faculty at the Harvard Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program, as well as a broad listing of dispute resolution courses at HLS, offered by a range of top scholars and practitioners in the field.

There are also a number of extracurricular opportunities—active student practice organizations, a journal, as well as awards and competitions—that can expand your exposure to dispute resolution work while at Harvard Law School.

We have also curated a robust listing of ADR research and career planning links for those with an interest in focusing in this field during law school and beyond.

To learn more about how you can tailor your law school curriculum around dispute resolution, and how it can expand your lawyer’s toolkit, we encourage you to read interviews with several of our students: Jonathan Rosenbluth ′18, Patricia Alejandro ′17, Corey Linehan ′18Saady Siddiky LLM’12 and Elaine Lin ′10.

Harvard Law School is committed to the full inclusion of students with disabilities in the life of the University. Students requesting accessibility resources or accommodations in any of HLS’s Clinical and Pro Bono Programs may work with Accessibility Services in the Dean of Students Office. If you are a student with a documented disability and you are requesting accommodations, please contact HLS Accessibility Services to discuss and register for accommodations.
Scroll to Top