Nancy A. Welsh

I was drawn to the law as I observed the men and women serving on the Judiciary Committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives respond to the Watergate scandal. It was a very anxious time for our nation. But these Senators and members of Congress modeled a careful, bipartisan, deliberative process. I particularly admired the clarity of thought displayed by Senator Howard Baker when he pointedly described the central question as: “What did the President know and when did he know it?" I wanted to learn to think as clearly as that—and that’s when I decided to go to law school.

I love the dialogue with students in and outside the classroom and the sense of adventure that emerges as we explore legal or dispute resolution concepts together. I particularly love those “light bulb” moments when a student suddenly sees the connection between two concepts or realizes what she can accomplish with a particular question or the use of a particular rule of procedure. This is learning to “think like a lawyer.”

Obviously, I hope they learn concepts that will enable them to practice law skillfully and ethically. But I also hope they see how they can embrace opportunities to connect with others, continue to grow and learn themselves, assume leadership roles, and affect the course of law and people’s lives in a positive way.

I practiced law as a corporate litigator with a Minneapolis firm and was lucky enough to be involved in both very large cases, like a federal securities class action, and smaller cases involving a whole variety of issues (e.g., contract, employment, First Amendment). I left the firm to join a statewide dispute resolution organization and became its executive director. There, I advised the Minnesota Supreme Court regarding the institutionalization of dispute resolution in the courts, was involved in research, and mediated, arbitrated, and trained many lawyers, judges, and state employees in dispute resolution skills.

I’m especially passionate about my family. My sons are now 25 and 21 — which I find very hard to believe! One is an engineer, and the other is planning to become an engineer. I am also quite passionate about the field of dispute resolution and using these procedures for good.

My research focuses on negotiation, mediation, arbitration, judicial settlement conferences, and dispute resolution generally, in both domestic and international contexts. I am particularly interested in the self-determination, procedural justice, and due process provided by these processes and the consequences of their institutionalization in the courts and agencies.