Sharon Press

Associate Professor
Email: spress01@hamline.edu
Phone: 651-523-2356

B.A., The George Washington University School of Public and International Affairs
J.D., The George Washington University National Law Center

Professor Sharon Press, Director of the Dispute Resolution Institute, joined Hamline on July 1, 2009.  Professor Press served for 18 years as director of the Florida Dispute Resolution Center. She has been an adjunct professor, teaching mediation theory and general ADR survey courses at Florida State University College of Law, Hamline University School of Law, Capital University Law School and the University of Nevada Las Vegas Law School.

She is the recipient of numerous professional awards, including the Mary Parker Follett Award for Excellence and Innovation in Dispute Resolution presented by the Association for Conflict Resolution and CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution's Special Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Field and Future of Dispute Resolution. Professor Press is a Florida Supreme Court certified county and family mediator and also has mediated in a number of community mediation centers in Florida and New York. 

Professor Press has co-authored two ADR textbooks: Mediation Theory and Practice, co-authored with J. Alfini, J. Sternlight and J. Stulberg, 2001, second edition 2006 (LexisNexus) and County Court Mediation: A Mediator's Manual, written with Kimberly Kosch, 1999. She served on the committee that re-drafted the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators (2005) which have been adopted by the American Bar Association, the American Arbitration Association and the Association for Conflict Resolution. She has worked with numerous states throughout the U.S. contemplating the use of court-connected mediation. Internationally, she has done work in Haiti, Argentina, Uruguay, Hungary, Jordan, and the Caribbean.

Publications

Books and Technical Manuals

• Mediation Theory and Practice, law school text book co-authored with J. Alfini, J. Sternlight, and J. Stulberg, 2001, 2^nd Edition: 2006. (LexisNexus)
• County Court Mediation: A Mediator's Manual, written with Kimberly Kosch, 1999.

Law Review Articles

• "Institutionalization: Savior or Saboteur of Mediation?" 24 Florida State Law Review 903 (1997).
• "What Happens when Mediation is Institutionalized?: To the Parties, Practitioners and Host Institutions (A Panel Discussion)", 9 Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution 307 (1994).
• "Building and Maintaining a Statewide Mediation Program: A View From the Field," 81 Kentucky Law Journal 4 (1992 - 93).

Other

• Senior Judge as Mediator: Ethical Issues, distance learning DVD co-authored with Janice Fleischer, produced by the Dispute Resolution Center, Summer 2009.
• "Chapter IX: Ethics for Provider Organizations," Dispute Resolution Ethics: A Comprehensive Guide, American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, 2002.
• "Standards... and Results," Dispute Resolution Magazine, Spring 2001.
• "Florida's Court-Connected State Mediation Program," Court-Annexed Mediation: A Critical Perspective on Selected State and Federal Programs, Summer 1998.
• "The Name of the Game is Movement: Concession-Seeking in Judicial Mediation of Large Money Damage Cases: Commentary," Mediation Quarterly, Volume 15, Number 4, Summer 1998.
• "Evaluation of Dade County Pro Se Family Mediation Project," with Sybil Brown, August 1997.
• Florida Mediation/Arbitration Programs: A Compendium, with S. Schultz and K. Kosch, July 1997; (previous editions include: with S. Schultz and K. Mann, July 1996; with R. Posey, July 1995, July 1994; with R. Posey and E. Lachance, July 1993; with J. Mason, July 1992, July 1991, July 1990; with P. Kurlin, July 1989.
• "Mediation Works: Make it Work for You" video tape script co-authored with Dr. Gregory Firestone, produced by the Dispute Resolution Center, Summer 1995.
• "Chapter 1: Introduction to Mediation," "Chapter 4: Mediator Qualifications and Training," "Chapter 7: County Civil Mediation," Alternative Dispute Resolution in Florida: Volume II, second edition, February 1995.
• "Court Connected ADR: Policies and Issues" NIDR Forum. Summer 1995, Number 28.
• "Court-Ordered Mediation: The Florida Experience" The Lawyer, September 1993.
• "Chapter 4: Introduction to Mediation," "Chapter 7: Mediator Training & Qualifications," "Chapter 10: County -Civil Mediation," Florida Bar Practice Manual: Volume II ADR. July 1992.
• "ADR: A Critical Review of the Recent Literature," The Justice System Journal, Vol 14/2, 1991.
• "Florida Explains Court Rules, In Face of Continuing Controversy," BNA's Alternative Dispute Resolution Report, December 8, 1988, Volume Two.

Publications