Scheinman Institute Acquires Labor Arbitration Institute

A generous gift by an alumnus and former dean of the ILR School will help extend the Martin and Laurie Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution’s role as the preeminent source for training labor arbitrators and practitioners across the country.

Marty Scheinman ’75, MS ’76 and Professor Harry Katz recently purchased the Labor Arbitration Institute (LAI) and gifted it to the ILR School, an acquisition that will expand both the reach and the reputation of the Scheinman Institute.

“Marty and Harry are both passionate about dispute resolution, and thanks in large part to their commitment over the years, they have amplified what has always been a traditional strength of the ILR School,” said Alex Colvin, Ph.D. ’99, the Kenneth F. Kahn ’69 Dean and the Martin F. Scheinman ’75, MS ’76, Professor of Conflict Resolution at the ILR School.

“That commitment continues today through their generous gift of LAI to the Scheinman Institute. Their donation will allow us to broaden our reach and solidify the ILR School as an authority in the field.” 

LAI has been providing labor, management and their attorneys with relevant and thought-provoking education in labor law and labor arbitration for over 25 years. LAI, with its team of more than 40 arbitrators, conducts labor law and labor arbitration education conferences year-round across the country. 

The mission of LAI aligns perfectly with the Scheinman Institute’s mission of educating the next generation of neutrals and arbitration practitioners and will further enhance ILR’s reputation as a leader in labor relations and conflict resolution.

“Our acquisition will lead the Scheinman Institute into a broader national focus than we’ve had in the past,” said Katz, the Jack Sheinkman Professor and Scheinman Institute Director. “And we are well equipped to sustain the high quality that [LAI founder] Peter Dahlen has provided through his conferences … We look forward to continuing his legacy.”

Professor Ariel Avgar, Ph.D. ’08 has been named the academic director for LAI, while Ellen Gallin Procida and Dan McCray will serve as the lead faculty for conference operations. ILR will officially begin running LAI conferences with the Detroit Labor Law & Labor Arbitration Conference on March 20. Future conferences are scheduled for Cleveland (May 12) and Las Vegas (June 16), with additional conferences planned for cities across the U.S., including Tampa, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco. 

“LAI is a natural and important extension of the work that the Scheinman Institute has been doing for a very long time,” said Avgar, the David M. Cohen Professor of Labor Relations, Law and History. “It builds on a long tradition of training and educating neutrals and advocates, but it expands our reach in profound ways, enhancing our reach and connection to audiences across the U.S. In many ways, LAI takes our many strengths and provides a larger platform to leverage them.

“We are at a critical juncture in the U.S. when it comes to the training and development of key collective bargaining actors, from advocates to neutrals. LAI serves as a critical means for the Scheinman Institute and ILR to play an active role in ensuring that collective bargaining in the U.S. is on a solid footing for resolving conflicts that naturally arise between labor and management.”