James R. Coben is a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law and a senior fellow in the law school’s internationally acclaimed Dispute Resolution Institute (DRI), which he directed from 2000-2009. He is a co-author of the Thomson Reuters trial practice series treatise Mediation: Law, Policy & Practice (2020-2021), co-editor of the four-volume Rethinking Negotiation Teaching Series (DRI Press 2009-2013), and a former editorial board member of the American Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Magazine, for which he co-writes a Research Insights featured column.
He teaches negotiation and mediation, as well as trial advocacy and civil procedure. He also pioneered a variety of innovative ADR clinical opportunities for law students, including mediation advocacy on behalf of clients in employment and family law cases. During his tenure as DRI director, he created three law school study abroad programs − an international commercial arbitration program in London, an international business transactions negotiation program in Rome, and a program in democratic dialogue and mediation in Budapest. He also served as project director for an innovative European Union/U.S. Department of Education funded project to develop transnational ADR curriculum and promote transatlantic student mobility.
As a consultant and trainer, he works with state and local government boards and agencies to improve the quality of public deliberation and decision-making. As a facilitator, he plans and conducts strategic planning and helps private and public organizations to build and maintain a culture of collaboration.
