Fellows
One of the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution's missions is to provide dispute resolution assistance in Texas, primarily for state and local governmental agencies and courts. Assistance is provided in the resolution of public policy issues and in the planning and designing of systems for ongoing use of ADR processes within government programs and the courts. The goal is public cost-savings, increased efficiency of public administration, and enhanced quality of public services.
Critical to the implementation of the Center mission is the successful functioning of the Fellows Program. The goal of the Fellows program is to assemble and develop a group of professionals trained and experienced in the resolution of public policy disputes, who can serve as a resource for Texas government entities. Fellows assist state and local government agencies and courts by designing and implementing processes for the ongoing use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) tailored to individual public policy settings. Fellows are knowledgeable professionals, respected in their fields, with extensive experience in the areas of dispute resolution and/or public policy. The Dean of the Law School appoints each class of Fellows. The intended result of the Fellows program is to educate Fellows about ADR processes that can be used to resolve public policy disputes, resulting in public cost-savings, increased efficiency of public administration, and enhanced quality of public services.
The Fellows program includes: Public Policy Fellows, who are government policymakers with many years experience in the public policy arena, or ADR Fellows, who have extensive experience in ADR as private practitioners. They receive specialized training in the most advanced ADR techniques for public policy disputes. The Center draws upon training resources from across the nation, including the ten other National Institute of Dispute Resolution affiliated state public policy dispute resolution centers. Fellows are engaged in such activities as assisting with training for future classes of Fellows; assisting in planning ADR procedures for the resolution of specific Texas public policy disputes; participating as a mediator or other third party neutral in the resolution of a public policy dispute in the State of Texas; or assisting in planning and implementing a system of ADR use for their own or another specific government agency or court.