Professor Helen Winter Contributes to Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program 20th Anniversary Convening at Harvard Law School
Professor Helen Winter of the Pepperdine Caruso Law Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution participated in the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program's 20th anniversary. The program, titled "Reimagining Dispute Systems for a Changing World," was held on November 6–7 at Harvard Law School. The two-day gathering brought together scholars, practitioners, and leaders to reimagine how dispute resolution systems can respond to evolving societal challenges.
As a contributor to the Community Systems Working Group, Winter shared and presented insights from her research and practical experience in community-based conflict resolution. Her contributions focused particularly on how facilitators and convenors can establish trust when engaging with marginalized communities, including refugees, and how meaningful participation and community ownership can help create sustainable conflict resolution initiatives.
Winter also highlighted innovative approaches developed by students in her ADR and Social Entrepreneurship course at Pepperdine Caruso Law. Among the initiatives discussed was a student-led project addressing polarization on college campuses by creating opportunities for dialogue across differences. The project illustrates how dispute resolution education can empower students to design practical responses to complex societal challenges.
The gathering brought together leading dispute resolution practitioners, scholars, faculty, and alumni of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program, alongside participants from four working groups focused on Courts, Communities, Organizations, and Peacebuilding. Through collaborative discussions, interdisciplinary exchanges, and visioning exercises, participants explored opportunities to strengthen trust, promote meaningful participation, and develop more accessible and responsive dispute resolution systems.
Winter's participation reflects the Straus Institute's commitment to advancing innovative approaches to conflict resolution that connect academic research, experiential education, and community engagement.