Micheal Moffitt: the new Law School Dean!

Katie D.

December 12, 2010 - 7:06 PM

I am thrilled to announce that Professor Micheal Moffitt has been selected as the new Dean of the UO Law School! Professor Moffitt was my professor for my Negotiation class for my Conflict Resolution Masters program. He's been the associate director of the Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Center for almost ten years, so is very much a part of the University of Oregon community. I am thrilled he's taking on this new position.

I have so appreciated Micheal Moffitt as a professor this term for his creativity and passion in the classroom, and for the balance of the practical and the theoretical in the classroom. Negotiation has been so fun because it puts into practice many of the theories we've been learning in our other classes, giving us the problem solving skills and real-world applications of what we're learning.

We've also benefited enormously for his experience with mediation and negotiation in the past. In the classroom, this experience creates an opportunity for real stories to illustrate techniques learned. We have the chance to ask questions about best practices and to receive a detailed (and often amusing) anecdotal response.

In addition to appreciating Professor Moffitt for his teaching style and expertise, I am also extremely excited about his new position because of what this might mean for the future of ADR at the University of Oregon and elsewhere. ADR and the field of Conflict Resolution arose from legal and business dispute resolution channels historically, as well as the differing religious methods for resolving conflict within communities. In the modern applications of ADR, this results in careers as varied as divorce mediators and international peacekeeping.

To have a professor who has been so involved with ADR as the new Dean will probably mean some changes for ADR in Eugene. At the very least, it will add certain visibility and interest in the field. The Conflict Resolution Masters Program is hosted by the Law School, and usually enrolls several Law students in concurrent degrees. There is only one Law Student in our current cohort, and her perspective has been extremely valuable in our collective understanding of our studies. I imagine that the new Dean might reemphasize this interest in Law students, and might increase the exposure of non-litigation strategies in resolving disputes. Beyond the enrollment in the CRES program, increased exposure to ADR will probably have an impact on the understanding and appreciation for the field in the community at large, which will hopefully influence people's understanding of their options in response to conflict.

More than anything, I'm excited about what this new position will mean for Micheal Moffitt in his work and life. He has been incredibly kind to me as a new student in CRES, and is a role model for many students I know. I think the decision to make him the Law School Dean was a extremely good one, and I can't wait to see what this will mean for our UO community.

Micheal, we're all wishing you well.