This unit introduces law students to a variety of non-judicial dispute resolution processes.This unit introduces students to the theories, principles, practices and laws relating to dispute resolution. It covers a variety of dispute resolution methods including negotiation, mediation, conciliation and arbitration. Students will examine how these processes are used in different contexts within Australian jurisdictions and internationally. By the end of the unit, students should have an improved understanding about the circumstances in which dispute resolution options are appropriate and an ability to match disputes to process options.

Students will also engage in practical training in various dispute resolution skills. Skills of problem solving, reflective practice, conflict management, collaboration and dispute resolution will be encouraged through group learning experiences. There will be an opportunity to role play different participants in dispute resolution processes, including parties, lawyers, third parties and observers.

This unit provides an opportunity for law students to develop an understanding about the place of dispute resolution in modern legal practice. Students will have the opportunity to think critically about the implications of non-judicial dispute resolution processes for the law, litigation and the legal profession. This unit compliments the compulsory units of the law degree, which emphasise the legal perspective of dispute and judicial methods of dispute resolution. This unit develops knowledge and skills that must be used by lawyers in conjunction with legal analysis and adversarial advocacy. It also advances students' achievement of the Threshold Learning Outcomes for Law (TLOs).