Law School Launches Chapter of Mediators Beyond Borders

A hallmark of St. John’s School of Law is its commitment to serving the Vincentian mission of redressing injustice through advocacy and reform. This commitment is manifest in The Hugh L Carey Center for Dispute Resolution, a leader in the growing field of alternative dispute resolution, offering courses, conferences, clinics and co-curricular activities with the aim of developing conflict resolution as both a value and a practice in students’ professional lives, communities and the world. This year, through the initiative of Professor Elayne E. Greenberg, Director of the Carey Center and Assistant Dean of Dispute Resolution Programs, the Law School launched a chapter of the non-profit humanitarian organization Mediators Beyond Borders (MBB).

Partnering with NGO's, universities, political and activist groups, community organizations, professional societies, environmental, commercial and other entities, MBB helps communities worldwide to build their capacity for preventing, resolving and healing conflict. “The St. John’s Chapter of Mediators Beyond Border offers our students an unparalleled opportunity to further develop global dispute resolution skills in a way that also reinforces the values of our Vincentian University,” said Professor Greenberg. Two students, Yael Boloker ’12 and Josh Samples ’12, collaborated with Professor Greenberg to start the St. John’s MBB Chapter. Law School Communications Director Lori Herz spoke to them about the experience.

LH: When and how did you get involved with Mediators Beyond Borders at St. John’s?

JS: I first became involved with MBB when Professor Greenberg approached me in the summer of 2010. At the time, she was in the early stages of establishing a University Chapter at St. John's. Our initial vision was to create a program in Spain to help young soccer players in poor communities prepare culturally for a professional soccer career. Although the program did not materialize, our efforts were the first steps in establishing the MBB chapter at St. John's.

YB: I was interning in the ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) unit at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2011 and two people I worked closely with, Brad Roth and Patricia Araujo, were forming MBB’s New York Professional Chapter. I asked Professor Greenberg if we were involved in MBB or had any other opportunities like it at St. John’s. She said that St. John’s had started the process to become a recognized University Chapter, but the founding students had graduated. Together with Professor Greenberg, we identified the remaining requirements to make St. John’s a chartered chapter. We held an initial meeting to gauge student interest and, with the overwhelming response, started the journey to becoming a vibrant and active University Chapter.

LH: MBB partners with communities across the globe on a range of initiatives. Is the Law School’s MBB chapter involved in any of MBB’s current projects?

YB: This year, we’re partnering on a project with the Rwanda team. Two St. John’s students will travel to Rwanda with the team to mediate conflicts and, even more importantly, to train local parties on different sides of the conflict to be effective mediators who can resolve differences without violence, even after the team leaves. In addition to the Rwanda project, we’re working with other MBB chapters to organize a trip along Abraham’s Path, an initiative founded by acclaimed mediator William Ury to bring together people of many faiths, provide common ground and highlight the shared faith traditions of our ancestors.

LH: What are the next steps in building the St. John’s chapter’s partnership with MBB? Do you plan to initiate any projects or initiatives?

YB: MBB University Chapters aim to work on international and local projects. On the international front, the UN General Assembly recently approved the peace mediation resolution presented by Finland and Turkey. MBB worked with the Turkish ambassador to draft and pass this resolution and hopes to be an integral part of its implementation. The St. John’s Chapter could play a role in this effort, in addition to our ongoing work with the Rwanda team. For our local project, we’re partnering with Community Mediation Services to train in mediation and to help resolve a variety of conflicts in our Queens, N.Y. community. We also actively engage with other University Chapters. This past year, we proposed a chapter mediation competition as an opportunity to meet face to face and hope to hold that event soon. We will also invite professionals in the field to the Law School to provide skill-building opportunities in cross-cultural encounters, trauma training, gender differences, mediation training and more. MBB’s New York Professional Chapter has expressed interest in creating a mentoring program with our students and to have us partner on their projects. We also hope to involve other schools at St. John’s in our activities.

LH: How has your involvement with Mediators Beyond Borders enhanced your legal education at St. John’s?

JS: MBB has challenged me to look beyond the walls of the classroom and into the world of real life conflict. It has also given me the opportunity to make a real difference on a global scale ― to take knowledge cultivated in the classroom and spread it to communities that need it. I am thankful for this opportunity and challenge future St. John’s law students to truly take advantage of this program.

YB: MBB has allowed me to put into practice methodologies and theories I learned in the classroom. It builds skills in numerous ways, from how to handle difficult clients to collaborating with attorneys and professionals in other disciplines. More importantly, it exposes students to a broader application of the law. MBB has allowed me to learn and apply local, state, federal, international and UN law. In addition to learning ADR, you learn how to resolve practical problems that arise in any business, such as funding, grants, accounting, accreditation and continuing education.

LH: How has your work with MBB altered or enriched your understanding of the field of dispute resolution/conflict resolution and the role of lawyers as leaders in that field?

JS: Through my work establishing our MBB University Chapter, I gained a great deal of appreciation for the organization’s mission and the role MBB plays on a global scale. In the classroom, I learned about ADR through the lens of fact patterns and role-playing scenarios. And with MBB, I learned about real issues and how MBB and its members are helping to establish effective dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve those issues. In the end, my experience with MBB served as a link between the classroom and the interesting and complex real world of lawyering and conflict resolution.

YB: My involvement with MBB has already enriched my professional life. My view of conflict and disputes has been broadened, not in the sense of across the world, but in the sense that minute conflicts can be derived from many different sources and occur on a myriad of scales. MBB has challenged any understanding I had as a student about dispute resolution. It has helped me zero in on the root of resolution issues, rather than solving the facial demands of the interested parties. The real gem of MBB is its professional members. The members are very successful and have dynamic experience, skills and characteristics students can emulate and adopt. Going to the MBB conference this year was the most inspiring moment of my law school career.

LH: How have your professors mentored you and otherwise supported your work with MBB?

JS: Professors Elayne Greenberg, Christine Lazaro and Chris Borgen were integral in my development as both a law student and as a young attorney. My passion is international ADR, and each of these professors dedicated their time and experience to helping me take steps towards initiating a successful career. I can honestly say that I have lasting memories with each of these individuals and that they are truly valuable to the students at St. John's.

YB: Professor Greenberg has been a driving force behind the creation of St. John’s MBB Chapter. Her support and initiative have allowed us to brainstorm new ideas, tailor projects that are exciting and valuable on our career paths and avoid making mistakes that would waste our time and resources. Rachel Andron, Director of our Public Interest Center, has also been a big supporter of our programs. She helped us design the local program, discussing with us the successes and mistakes of other student initiatives. I must also mention Professor Robin Boyle, Associate Dean for Academic Success and Professor of Legal Writing, as a major supporter of MBB. She helped me connect with my fellow students and share this exciting new opportunity with them.

LH: Yael and Josh, we look forward to seeing the Law School’s Mediators Beyond Borders chapter grow and thrive. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.