Integrating EQ and IQ in Dispute Resolution

Each legal dispute is made up of two “cases”: the “emotional case” and the “legal case,” and they are usually conflated, resulting in impasse. Most lawyers tend to focus exclusively on the legal case, leaving the unaddressed emotional issues to wreak havoc with meaningful problem-solving. This program will discuss how to disentangle the legal and emotional cases, and how to work skillfully with each.  This includes recognizing that each “case” has its own distinct language and way of thinking.  Emphasis will be given to developing the capacity to recognize when emotional issues have surfaced and to bring your EQ into the foreground while still keeping your IQ in the background.  Finally, the program will explore how to switch “languages” back and forth from foreground to background depending on the which “case” is predominant in the moment, resulting in a seamless “bilingual” form of problem-solving.

Program objectives:

• Using EQ in litigation as well as mediation, e.g., dealing with difficult clients, opposing counsel, etc.
• How to disentangle the legal and emotional cases, recognizing that each “case” has its own language.
• How non-mental health professionals can meaningfully work with the emotional dimensions.
• Recognizing patterns of behavior to increase insight into disputes.

Featured JAMS Speaker: Stephen H. Sulmeyer, J.D., Ph.D.