Hugh L. Carey Center for Dispute Resolution

About the Carey Center

The Hugh L. Carey Center educates aspiring lawyers in the essential values and effective skills necessary to resolve clients’ legal problems in today’s practice of law. In today’s legal reality, most lawsuits are settled and fewer than 5% go to trial. To practice effectively today, lawyers must not only know how to resolve client’s legal problems in court, but also how to negotiate settlements out of court. 

Today’s settlement-focused legal practice also requires lawyers to be knowledgeable about the different dispute resolution processes that may help resolve a client’s case, including: 

• Negotiation
• Mediation
• Arbitration

As clients become more attuned to the costs of litigation, lawyers can no longer focus on winning at all costs. Instead, today's lawyers must know how to work with clients and the other side to achieve a better win. Achieving a better win requires working with the client, the other party, and the other party’s attorney to select an appropriate dispute resolution process to achieve the most effective and expeditious solution, all the while respecting the humanity and dignity of all.

Your Dispute Resolution Education 

The Carey Center will educate you about the problem-solving advocacy and dispute resolution skills needed to become an effective lawyer in domestic and global arenas.

With its mission of developing conflict resolution as both a value and a practice in students' professional lives, communities, and the world, the Carey Center offers courses, clinics, co-curricular activities, and other programs that make the Law School a leader in the dispute resolution field. 

At St. John's Law, your dispute resolution education begins with the 1L January intersession course, Lawyering. This intensive, interactive course introduces you to negotiation skills and the companion skills of interviewing and drafting through a combination of lectures, exercises, and simulations.

After you take Lawyering, you're invited to participate in the 1L Internal Negotiation Competition. This is a great opportunity to hone your negotiation skills learned in Lawyering and receive invaluable feedback about your negotiation.

Interested students are invited to apply for membership in the Dispute Resolution Society.

Support the Center

To support the Carey Center and its initiatives, please visit the Law School's online giving page or contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at [email protected] or 718-990-5792.