While courtroom drama dominates pop culture portrayals of our legal system, real transformation is happening in a much quieter corner of justice: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). ADR, including mediation and negotiation, is reshaping how conflicts are resolved—offering faster, cheaper, and more collaborative outcomes while lightening the load on overburdened courts. 

At the forefront of this shift is Santa Clara University School of Law, where the newly established Bates Mediation Clinic is a powerful testament to student initiative, faculty mentorship, and institutional vision. The Clinic was born from the School of Law’s established strengths in this area, as well as the passion and persistence of recent graduate Leor Chechik J.D. ‘24, who saw a gap in access to practical, hands-on mediation training.

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*Originally published in the Discern Magazine, Fall 2025 issue from Santa Clara University, School of Law. The full issue can be found here: https://law.scu.edu/about/discern-magazine/