Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) has come to have an enormous influence on disputing practices in North America and beyond. It is now, more than ever, necessary to study and be familiar with ADR developments. This book takes you on a journey into the science, skills, and law that make up this exciting new field. Readers will have opportunities to consider the conflicting meanings attributed to ADR and to decide which ones make most sense for them.

The book covers the major disputing processes with an emphasis on negotiation, mediation, and other consensual processes; points to the diverse skills needed to be proficient in ADR; examines the developing law of ADR; shows how ADR may be applied in practical case scenarios; and predicts the factors that will most affect ADR's future development.

Andrew J. Pirie, B.A. (Waterloo), LL.B. (Dalhousie), LL.M. (Wellington), was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1978. Professor Pirie joined the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria in 1981. From 1986 to 1987 he was a Visiting Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa. Professor Pirie's teaching and scholarship focus on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) with principal interests in the theory and practice of negotiation and mediation. He teaches courses on dispute resolution—Theory and Practice and Mediation and Lawyers—as well as Legal Process, Civil Procedure, and Legal Skills. Professor Pirie served as the Executive Director of the UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution from 1989 to 1996.

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Dr. Christopher W. Moore is a managing partner at CDR Associates and the author of The Mediation Process.

Christopher W. Moore's profile page

"This book is by far the best work written [on the topic] to date. ... Professor Pirie has made a significant contribution to the field and to our understanding of diverse alternatives for resolving conflicts."

Christopher W. Moore, author of The Mediation Process (from the Foreword)