TEACHING DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE PARALEGAL CLASSROOM
Keywords:
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION; ADR; DISPUTE RESOLUTION; CONFLICT RESOLUTION COMMUNICATION; COMMUNICATION SKILLS; PEDAGOGY; ETHICS; ETHICAL RULES; ETHICS OF AI; ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; AI; GEN AI; PARALEGAL EDUCATOR; PARALEGAL EDUCATION; PARALEGAL PRACTICEAbstract
Paralegals occupy a unique intermediary role in legal practice. ADR-informed communication provides a teachable, assessable, and ethical framework for effective performance in that role.
Paralegals frequently function as intermediary communicators between attorneys, clients, and other legal professionals. They manage communication in emotionally charged and adversarial environments—including within their law offices, the courthouse, and other legal and administrative agencies. Despite this role, paralegal education and professional development may not adequately emphasize formal training in conflict communication and dispute resolution. This article argues that alternative dispute resolution principles provide a practical framework for equipping paralegals with essential ADR-informed communication skills. Paralegal programs should introduce this skill set in the classroom and legal employers should reinforce it through continuing education and workplace training.
Using the bygone metaphor of “running with the hare and hunting with the hounds,” this article conceptualizes the paralegal as an ADR-informed intermediary communicator who must recognize and accurately communicate competing concerns. Drawing from neuroscience, conflict communication theory, and ADR practice, the article identifies key competencies, including active listening, reframing, de-escalation, expectation management, and boundary setting, that are fundamental to effective paralegal practice. The article also addresses the ethical use of artificial intelligence tools to support conflict-sensitive professional communication.
This article expands paralegal scholarship by offering practical strategies for implementing ADR-informed training in both paralegal education and legal workplaces through simulations and communication labs, mentorship, and office training protocols. Although most established paralegal competency frameworks do not expressly require ADR training, ADR-informed communication complements rather than displaces the core competencies of paralegal education and practice.
