Abstract

The following Essay by Vice Chancellor Leo Strine of the Delaware Court of Chancery advocates the enactment of legislation that authorizes the Court of Chancery to handle "mediation-only" cases. Such cases would be filed solely to invoke the aid of a Chancellor to mediate a business dispute between parties. By advocating this innovative dispute resolution option, the Essay embraces a new dimension of the American judicial role that allows American businesses to more efficiently solve complicated business controversies. The mediation-only device was conceived in 2001 by members of the Delaware judiciary, including Vice Chancellor Strine, in consultation with members of the Delaware Bar and the Administration of Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner. After this Essay was widely circulated to certain constituencies and presented at a symposium sponsored by the Duke Law Journal and the Institute for Law and Economic Policy (ILEP), legislation that contained the mediation-only device was drafted. In June 2003, with the full support of the Court of Chancery, Delaware Governor Minner secured passage of the legislation from Delaware's General Assembly. The mediation-only device was enacted into law as 346 and 347 of Title 10 of the Delaware Code. To the Editors' knowledge, this legislation is the first of its kind adopted in the United States.

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