Knowledge Base
Topics Covered in RPS Coach Knowledge Base
Dispute Resolution Processes and Procedures
Framing and Foundational Responsibilities
- Ethical considerations
- Designing the overall structure and flow of negotiation or mediation
- Intimate partner violence screening
- Client counseling
Preparation and Early-Stage Decisions
- Party decision-making
- Negotiation and mediation preparation procedures
- Lawyer tasks and checklists
- Mediator tasks and checklists
- Identifying and addressing resistance from clients or other participants
- Managing time and emotional energy
Roles and Interaction During the Process
- Interactions between lawyers and clients
- Interactions between mediators and clients
- Interactions between lawyers and mediators
- Private meetings in mediation (sometimes called “caucuses”)
- Conflict escalation and de-escalation dynamics
Strategies and Process Variants
- Early dispute resolution
- Collaborative and cooperative practice
- Problem-solving and dispute prevention
Conclusion, Follow-Up, and Learning
- Post-resolution implementation planning
- Reflection and improvement
- Program evaluation
System Design and Innovation
- ADR program planning and management
- Court-connected ADR
- Technology in dispute resolution
Real Practice Theory
Foundations of Real Practice Systems
- Real practice systems theory
- Intentional process design
- Practitioner philosophies
- Practice philosophies in context (e.g., family law, organizational disputes, etc.)
- Role of implicit knowledge and unconscious techniques
- Reflective practice
Decision-Making and Human Dynamics
- Good decision-making by parties and practitioners
- Decision fatigue
- Patterns of party behavior in disputes
Outcome Analysis and Negotiation Models
- Litigation interest and risk assessment (LIRA)
- Expected court outcomes or other likely results if parties don’t reach agreement
- Tangible and intangible interests
- Interest-and-options negotiation (sometimes called “interest-based negotiation”)
- Counteroffer negotiation (sometimes called “positional negotiation”)
Professional Development and System Design
- Developing personal profiles and practice philosophy
- Managing practitioner well-being and avoiding burnout
- Building sustainable dispute resolution practices
- Peer learning and educational practice groups
- Designing systems for repeat or organizational clients
AI Tools and Prompts
Using AI Tools Effectively
- AI literacy
- Choosing AI tools
- Using AI for strategic case analysis and preparation
- Using AI to support reflection and improvement
- Protecting confidentiality
- Recognizing AI limitations and bias
- Responsible use of AI outputs
Writing and Refining Prompts
- Writing effective prompts for communicating with AI tools
- Writing role-specific prompts (e.g., for practitioners, parties, educators, or students)
Language and Communication
- Clear communication
- Plain language in dispute resolution
- Framing messages effectively
- Understanding others’ perspectives
- Emotions in mediation
Legal Education
Designing the Course
- Course syllabi
- Teaching intentional process choice
Teaching Methods and Learning Activities
- Course assignments involving preparation, participation, and reflection on simulations
- Role-play simulations
- Using RPS Coach in course activities
- Stone Soup Project (for interviewing practitioners and parties)
Assessment and Educator Support
- Grading rubrics
- Educator tools