Dispute Resolution Specialist

The nature of a dispute resolution specialist is to ''act as an assistant'' to the arbitrator, or in many cases be the arbitrator. The difference in these is that a law degree may not be required as an assistant. However, the employer may request a degree or experience in the field for which he employs the Dispute Resolution Specialist. For example an owner of a financial firm may hire a Dispute Resolution Specialist to offer customer service to his clients in an effort to settle disputes. The financial firm will request the specialist to carry a 4 year degree in finance or business.

The position can enlist any duties required to prepare and resolve the dispute. It includes tasks to perform research of client’s records and schedule an arbitrator or other key people to invite to the table to resolve issues.


Dispute Resolution is not new to companies but offering a degree in the business is new to many colleges. The title of this new career degree is Conflict Analysis Dispute Resolution (CADR) and prepares the students to resolve conflict through analytical and practical thinking skills. A leading college to offer the 4 year degree is Salisbury University in Maryland where students can major or minor in the subject. Many students double major with CADR. It can be an asset to a number of professions including: Business Administration, Communication Arts, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Environmental Health, Environmental Issues, History, Information Systems, International Studies, Management, Nursing, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology. DeVry University and Phoenix University now include Dispute Resolution degrees in their colleges. Online 4 year degrees and master degrees are available from universities. There are also many graduate programs in Dispute Resolution which can add value to the professional’s career, especially in a competitive market.

In conclusion, Dispute Resolution is one of the newest careers to be developed in the college system. It will supply specialists in dispute resolution to many professions which will cut costs normally paid to hire attorneys. Many of the fortune 500 companies are converting to the use of Dispute Specialists and are reducing their legal costs. The job potential in this area will be competitive, but searching through the positions now available one can see hundreds of these jobs appearing. As it is a newer career title the jobs also are posted with a number of different names. Be aware and search under key words such as:
 

• Arbitrator jobs
• Dispute Resolution jobs
• Conciliator jobs
• Logistical Assistant jobs
• Management jobs in Dispute Resolution
• Call Center jobs in Dispute Resolution

With a competitive market, more training and education can increase opportunities and salaries which range between $30K and $80K with the median salary being somewhere in between. It’s a new opportunity and many people are interested and filling up the college programs now.

Dispute Resolution Specialist is a new career path which is replacing the attorney who has often acted as Arbitrator. With the economy pressing businesses to run streamlined, they have moved toward a less expensive means to get disputes settled efficiently. The job outlook for Dispute Resolution Specialists is keen as we move through the next decade.