WHO WE ARE

EMI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving negotiation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) education and practice. Our membership consists of attorneys, ADR practitioners, educators, and students. We are unified by a common belief that interest-based ADR education and practice are transformational tools for promoting effective business and legal leadership, as well as a mechanism for personal growth and comprehensive solutions.

WHY WE ARE HERE

Over thirty years in, ADR education stands at a crossroad. 

As ADR education continues in its mission for ubiquity within legal and business education, there is now a generation of students and practitioners who have had the immense benefit of participating in educational programs in which interest-based principles and philosophies were taught and emphasized.  From this backdrop has emerged a new group of ADR elite – nationally and internationally decorated innovators who have had the opportunity to focus their legal studies in ADR.  They have professional skills that are more robust and fully realized than many seasoned practitioners in the still-burgeoning field of ADR.  Lacking any preconceptions about the legal profession and the nature of conflict, this new group of students and practitioners is teeming with talent, innovative perspectives, and ideas to contribute to ADR. 

Unfortunately, the opportunities to express these talents and ideas suffer in a system that has not yet fully incorporated these principles.  Until now, advocacy for ADR has primarily focused on raising awareness about interest-based theory and defending the existence of ADR education.  Now is the time to take the next step – to focus on progressing and developing new paradigms of interest-based ADR education past these initial conceptual points, and to expand the reach, scope, and depth of focus for ADR education within new and existing ADR programs.  Doing so will create viable career paths for the new generation of practitioners who have the highest potential for talent within the field, all while markedly improving and changing the face of ADR education and the resulting legal, business, and dispute resolution communities.

This is where EMI Foundation comes in.

WHAT WE DO

EMI Foundation provides resources and funding to support and improve existing ADR education programs, as well as expertise and organization to help create new ADR education programs for interested institutions.  We provide opportunities for students to develop their skills through classroom instruction and interscholastic competitions.  Our services include:

• Judging and Coaching for Negotiation and Mediation Competitions

• Teaching ADR skills through one-on-one customized instruction based on a student’s style and ability level

• Fundraising and donations to support travel and expenses for Competition ADR Programs

• Creating ADR Student Organizations at schools

• Providing Awards and Recognition for outstanding scholarship and student performance in ADR

We believe that the combination of academic instruction and practical experience leads to the greatest growth for students and practitioners.  Through these educational opportunities our goal is to improve the of understanding and abilities for all ADR students and practitioners, as well as to expand the reach of ADR generally.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Practitioners and students can become members of EMI Foundation and volunteer to coach or judge for a Negotiation or Mediation Competition Team, as well as volunteering to present at EMI Foundation Educational Panels, become a student mentor, or other educational opportunities. We also accept donations and are looking to partner with law firms and businesses to help us support ADR education. Visit our website for more information and to learn how you can become a member of EMI Foundation and help change the shape of ADR education.