Susan Guthrie welcomes Professor John Lande for an eye-opening conversation that blends innovation, insight, and the evolving role of AI in mediation.
In this special two-part series, Susan is joined by legendary dispute resolution scholar John Lande, yes, the same John Lande who generally is very cautious about electronic technology – but is all-in on AI but one conversation flipped the switch, and now he’s the mind behind the RPS Coach: a trailblazing AI tool powered by four decades of his research and writing. Built to help mediators, lawyers, educators, and students sharpen their skills and rethink their systems, the RPS Coach is more than just a chatbot, it’s a game-shifter.
In Part One, Susan and John get into why he became so enthusiastic about AI, how the RPS Coach came to life, and what it means to interact with a tool built from your own intellectual legacy. Whether you’re shaping the future of mediation or just curious about what’s next in the field, this episode delivers a fresh take on how tech and practice can elevate one another.
Here’s what else you’ll hear in this episode:
- What inspired John to create the RPS Coach despite hesitations about technology
- How the tool works and who it’s designed to help
- Real-world ways the RPS Coach can improve writing, curriculum, and mediation prep
Tune in next Thursday for Part Two, where we go deeper into how practitioners and educators are already using the tool and how AI might reshape the field of dispute resolution.
More About This Week's Special Guest, John Lande: John Lande is the Isidor Loeb Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri School of Law and a nationally recognized leader in dispute resolution. A mediator since 1982, he holds a J.D. from Hastings and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His groundbreaking work has shaped how practitioners, courts, and educators approach negotiation, mediation, and dispute system design.
John is the recipient of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s Award for Outstanding Scholarly Work, the Mangano Dispute Resolution Advancement Award, and multiple writing honors from CPR, AFCC, and others. His scholarship on early dispute resolution, collaborative law, and legal practice innovation has influenced a generation of professionals.
He has taught widely on negotiation, lawyering practice, and dispute system design, and is a Fellow of Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers. He also serves on the editorial board of the Indisputably blog.
Websites and Resources:
RPS Coach: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67bdbff0204c81919bae3f14ac7810dc-rps-negotiation-and-mediation-coach
RPS Coach is Biased -And Proud of It: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5213572
User Guide: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5199282
Mediate.com Podcast 46: Training an AI on Yourself with Prof. John Lande: https://mediate.com/mediate-com-podcast-46-training-an-ai-on-yourself-with-prof-john-lande/
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This Episode is Sponsored by Thinkific!
If you're ready to turn your expertise into scalable income, Thinkific is the platform to make it happen. I’m currently using Thinkific to build out my own suite of on-demand programs, and it’s become a key part of how I’m diversifying my business.
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Be sure to check out my recent episode on diversifying your income as a legal or dispute resolution professional, and the companion article on monetizing your expertise with downloadable programs—both linked below to help you get inspired and started.
Article: The Fast-Track Guide to Creating a Profitable Downloadable Course
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