Forty pairs of separated parents were randomly assigned to attempt to settle their child custody dispute either in mediation or through adversary procedures. Outcomes of the two methods of dispute resolution were compared in regard to diversions from court, parents' evaluations of the court experience, and parents' psychological adjustment.…

Because negotiation channels creative energy and uses student ideas for the benefit of the school, it can create an environment more conducive to teaching and learning than the repressive environments that cause petty irritations, repeated disruptions, violence, and vandalism. (Author/IRT)

In order to examine jury deliberations, researchers simulated and videotaped court proceedings and jury deliberations based upon an actual civil court case. Special care was taken to make the simulated trial as authentic as the original trial. College students and the general public provided the jurors, which were then divided into twelve separate…

The handbook provides information on legislation and litigation pertaining to the education of handicapped pupils in South Carolina, required procedures for ensuring due process, and suggestions for procedures to be followed by Hearing Officers prior to, during, and after a hearing. The opening section on state laws includes definitions of…

Researchers who have attempted to study the functioning of the jury in the United States have been hampered by the absolute confidentiality of jury deliberations. Research methodologies have tried to circumvent this difficulty by using simulated juries, and have focused largely on the influence of the social status of jurors during deliberations.…

The House Judiciary Committee debates over the Articles of Impeachment during the Watergate hearings provided the unique opportunity for citizens to observe the process of congressional decision making. Emphasizing diversity, compromise, and reasoned argument, members defined their role as a combination of judge, juror, and average common-sense…

Mediation can be an efficient and appropriate process for resolving civil rights complaints. A survey of 36 human relations and civil rights offices in 10 states confirms that mediation is too seldom used, although there is interest in mediation practices. Problem areas in mediation are discussed. (SLD)

As courts at the local, state, and federal levels take an increasingly large role in formulating educational policy, serious questions arise about the use of social science data in judicial decision-making. The seven papers in this book were first presented at a symposium focusing on an exploration of the manner in which the definitions of…

This paper reviews the 45 due process hearings and court cases between 1993 and 1998 concerning parental requests for school districts to provide and/or fund the Lovaas treatment program for their young children with autism. It reviews previous legislative and legal definitions of a free appropriate public education and considers implications of…

The Supreme Court's opinion and concurring opinion in a case limiting the right of courts to overturn academic decisions, based on the case of university's dismissal of a student after his failure of an important examination, are presented. (MSE)

This study examines the relative effects of information on problem solving. An introductory section discusses theoretical approaches to problem solving. The major portion of the paper describes the author's research. In her study, subjects were asked to read a court transcript from a criminal case, to give their verdict in the case, and to…

Outlines a lesson for high school students covering religious controversies in New York City schools in the 1840s. Issues pertain to Irish-Catholic immigrants' objections to public school religious instruction and attempts to obtain public support for parochial schools. Includes handouts concerning religious freedom, Bishop John Hughes' opinion,…

This book is designed to provide educators with comprehensive information about special education law, especially the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Chapter 1 briefly reviews the history of special education. In Chapter 2 the specific rights of students to special education and related services are detailed. Chapter 3 outlines…