by Jeff Blum | Sep 4, 2026 | Articles
Introduction: The California Bubble and the Global Reality For nearly five decades, I have watched California serve as the primary incubator for alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Whether it was the early adoption of mandatory mediation in custody disputes or the...
by Jeff Blum | Jul 30, 2021 | Articles
Family law mediators may benefit divorcing parties who are mediating by applying the principles of transformative mediation in the mediation process. Problem Solving Mediation vs. Transformative Mediation: There are significant differences between problem solving...
by Jeff Blum | May 27, 2021 | Articles
The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Three of us, each from a different generation, recently tried to understand life a little better by looking backwards to determine why there seems...
by Jeff Blum | Feb 11, 2021 | Articles
In my last column I expressed my opposition to litmus tests for candidates seeking appointment to the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission. But some litmus tests are worthwhile, such as those silly little chemical paper tabs that turn blue or pink — much like states...
by Jeff Blum | Jan 3, 2021 | Articles
As a member of the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission I developed some protocols for the commission and the community relating to how best to respond to verbal or other acts of intolerance. I now find myself applying them not just locally but to state and even...
