Susan Exon Esq.

Main: (909) 460-2043

Fax: (909) 460-2081

College of Law and Public Service 228

Since her start with the College of Law and Public Service in 1999, Dean Exon has offered a wealth of legal knowledge to her students, and enjoys using innovative teaching methodologies. She focuses her teaching on the areas of Civil Procedure, Mediation, and Negotiation. She began her tenure as an Assistant Professor of Law, was granted tenure in 2006, and became the inaugural Associate Dean for Faculty Development in July 2013.

Prior to coming to the College of Law and Public Service, she served as the Director of Law and Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside Extension. She also served for six years as a defense litigator for Best, Best & Krieger LLP, handling all aspects of general business, civil, and public law litigation.

Dean Exon has received several awards for her work in education, speaks frequently at the national, state, and local levels regarding alternative dispute resolution and ethical topics, and has numerous published papers and articles. Her book, Advanced Guide for Mediators, was published by LexisNexis in May 2014. She has published several articles pertaining to cyberjurisdiction and online dispute resolution, and has proposed the creation of a cybercourt with jurisdiction over online disputes. Dean Exon’s current research relates to mediation issues concerning ethics and standards of conduct as well as apology and forgiveness.

Service is important to Dean Exon. She is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution where she is a member of the Ethical Guidance Committee and a member of the Civil Procedure Panel for the Legal Education, ADR and Practical Problem Solving (LEAPS) Project. For four years, she served as a co-chair of the Section’s Ethics Committee, stepping down in August 2013. She is a member of several mediator panels, including the Riverside County Superior Court and the Dispute Resolution Service Corporation of the Riverside County Bar Association. Dean Exon also is a member of the Legal Education Committee of the Riverside County Bar Association.

Educational Background

05/06 LL.M. in Dispute Resolution, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution,
Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, CA.

Thesis: The Fallacy of a “One Size Fits All” Mediator in Terms of Neutrality and Impartiality: A Study that Compares Mediator Styles with Ethical Standards of Conduct.

05/89 J.D., University of Wyoming, College of Law and Public Service, Laramie, WY.
Honors: Land and Water Law Review, Junior and Senior Staff.
Law College Service Scholarship, 1988-89.
Thurman Arnold Scholarship, 1987-88.
Teaching Assistant to 50 legal research and writing students.

02/78 A.S.B. Degree, Central Pennsylvania College, Summerdale, PA.
Graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Other Significant Educational Trainings:

06/01 Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law.
Completed 42-hour course in Mediating the Litigated Case.

07/99 University of California, Riverside Extension, Riverside, CA.
Certificate in Conflict Management (15-unit course requirement).

10/96 Judge Pro Tem Training for the San Bernardino County Small Claims Court.

09/94 National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Attended an intense eleven-day trial advocacy seminar in Denver, CO.

Publications

Books and Book Chapters

ADVANCED GUIDE FOR MEDIATORS (LexisNexis 2014).
TEACHER’S MANUAL TO ADVANCED GUIDE FOR MEDIATORS (LexisNexis 2014).
Commentary in MEDIATION ETHICS: CASES AND COMMENTARIES 297-302, by Ellen Waldman (Jossey-Bass 2011).

Law Review Articles

Maximizing Technology to Establish Trust in an Online, Non-visual Mediation Setting, 33 U. LA VERNE LAW REV. 27 (2011).
The Next Generation of Online Dispute Resolution: The Significance of Holography to Enhance and Transform Dispute Resolution, 12 CARDOZO J. CONFLICT RESOL. 19 (2010).
The Misnomer of a Mediation Value: Why All Mediators Cannot Remain Impartial, 1 Y.B. ARB. & MED. 164 (2009) (Penn State Dickinson Law School peer review journal).
The Effects that Mediator Styles Impose on Neutrality and Impartiality Requirements of Mediation, 42 U.S.F. L. REV. 577 (2008).
How Can a Mediator be Both Impartial and Fair?: Why Ethical Standards of Conduct Create Chaos for Mediators, 2006 J. DISP. RESOL. 387 (2006).
California’s Opportunity to Create Historical Precedent Regarding a Mediated Settlement Agreement’s Effect on Mediation Confidentiality and Arbitrability, 5 PEPP. DISP. RESOL. L.J. 215 (2005).
The Best Interest of the Child: Going Beyond Legalese to Empathize With a Client’s Leap of Faith, 24 J. Juv. L. 1 (2003-04).
Personal Jurisdiction: Lost in Cyberspace?, 8 COMPUTER L. R. & TECH. J. 21 (Fall 2003).
The Internet Meets Obiwan Kenobi in the Court of Next Resort, 8 B.U. J. SCI. & TECH. L. 1 (2002).
A New Shoe is Needed to Walk Through Cyberspace Jurisdiction, 11 ALB. L.J. SCI. & TECH. 1 (2000).

Journal Articles and Shorter Works

Women in Negotiation, 65 Riverside Lawyer 15 (Mar. 2015).
Drafted Ethics Hypothetical and Commentary for ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s E-Newsletter (Aug. & Sept. 2013).
Six Building Blocks of Trust: Methodology that Every Mediator, Especially Virtual Mediators Need to Know, December 2011 issue of Riverside County ADR Panel Newsletter.
Foreword, Symposium: Forecasting the Future: Cutting Edge Issues in ADR, 33 U. LA VERNE LAW REV. 1 (2011).
Virtual Virtues: Ethical Considerations for an Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Practice, 17 ABA DISPUTE RESOLUTION MAGAZINE 6 (Fall 2010). Co-authored with Jo DeMars, Colin Rule and Kimberlee K. Kovach.
Drafted Ethics Hypothetical and Commentary for ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s E-Newsletter (Aug. & Sept. 2010).
Ethical Considerations of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Practice, conference paper co-authored with Jo DeMars, Colin Rule and Kimberlee K. Kovach for the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution 2010 Annual Conference.
Drafted Ethics Hypothetical and Commentary for ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s E-Newsletter (July & Sept. 2008).
The Ethics of Mediation, 57 RIV. COUNTY LAWYER 13 (June 2007).
The Heart and Soul of International Adoptions: Laws are not Enough, 57 RIV. COUNTY LAWYER 18 (Jan. 2007).
Profile of Diane Petropulos (1995-96 President), The Paralegal Educator (1997).
Technology and Legal Education, RIV. COUNTY LAWYER (1996).

Public Trainings and Presentations

02/15 Presented “Managing Client Expectations in Mediation: An Ethics Primer” to the Riverside County Bar Association.
01/15 Presented “Mediation Ethics and Confidentiality” to the Federal Bar Association, Inland Empire, and to the U.S. Central District Court panel of mediators.
11/14 Co-presenter of a webinar as part of Cyberweek, entitled “The Ethics of Online Mediation Practice: Views for Today and Tomorrow.”
11/14 Presented “Gender Differences in Conflict Resolution” at the Conference, Gender Equality: Issues, Obstacles, Solutions, hosted by the Women on the Move Network.
09/14 What Does Apology Mean for Lawyers, Especially During Mediation, presented to La Verne Academy Faculty Lecture Series.
06/14 Co-presenter for “How the ‘Fourth Party’ Affects Mediator Ethics,” presented to the Online Dispute Resolution Forum annual conference in Palo Alto, CA.
04/14 Session Organizer and panel member for “How the ‘Fourth Party’ Affects Mediator Ethics,” presented to the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference in Miami, FL.
04/13 Panel Member for “Maintaining Impartiality and Avoiding Conflicts of Interest: Same or Different,” presented to the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.
03/13 “On-Line Dispute Resolution: Using Technology to Reduce Mediation Costs and Improve Results,” presented to the Riverside County Bar Association during its monthly general membership luncheon meeting, followed by a two-hour afternoon training session.
04/12 Session Organizer and Panel Member for “Ring-a-ling: Ethics and Trust in Telephone Mediation,” presented to the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
11/11 Presentation to AALS Works in Progress Conference for Dispute Resolution Section regarding a mediator’s ability to engender trust in an online, non-visual setting, Creighton University School of Law, Omaha, NB.
04/11 Panel Member for “Virtual Virtues: Wrestling with the Ethical Dilemmas of an Online Practice,” presented to the American Bar Association’s Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference in Denver, CO.
01/11 Panel Member for Technology Panel at Symposium: Forecasting the Future, Cutting Edge Issues in ADR, sponsored by the University of La Verne Law Review.
08/10 Panel Member for “Virtual Virtues: Wrestling with the Ethical Dilemmas of an Online Practice,” presented to the American Bar Association’s Annual Meeting.
08/10 “The Clash of Mediator Standards Creates an Ethical Storm,” training for the Dispute Resolution Center, Riverside County Community Action Partnership.
04/10 Session Organizer and Panel Member for “Virtual Virtues: Wrestling with the Ethical Dilemmas of an Online Practice,” presented to the ABA’s Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA.
10/09 Co-presenter for “The Mediator’s Perfect Storm: Working Through Internal Conflicts Caused by Colliding Ethical Values,” presented to the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA.
08/09 “Finding Gold in the Desert: How to Create Success Through Mediation Preparation,” presented to the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity National Convention and Leadership Conference in Phoenix, AZ.
04/09 Session Organizer and Panel Member for “Mediation: What’s Fairness Got to do With It?,” presented to the ABA’s Section of Dispute Resolution Annual Conference in New York City, NY.
01/09 “Mediator Impartiality: How to Maintain Impartiality as a Mediator,” training for the Dispute Resolution Service Corporation, Riverside County Bar Association.
12/08 “Recent Developments in Mediation Law,” training for mediators of the Dispute Resolution Service Corporation, Riverside County Bar Association, along with co-presenter Kristine Eisler, my student research assistant.
11/08 Keynote speaker for Riverside County Bar Association’s General Membership Meeting. Presented “How to Prepare Your Client for Mediation.”
06/08 “The Clash of Mediator Standards Creates an Ethical Storm,” training for the Dispute Resolution Center, Riverside County Community Action Partnership.
04/07 Panel Member for “Helping Mediation Program Administrators Grapple with Problems in Developing Quality Mediation Programs,” presented to the ABA’s Section of Dispute Resolution (National Conference on Court ADR) annual conference in Washington, D.C.
01/07 Panel Member for “Ethics Marathon 2007,” presented to the Riverside County Bar Association.
01/07 Ethics and Professional Responsibility session presenter for the Bridging the Gap program sponsored by the Riverside County Bar Association.
10/06 “Mediation: Has Lulu Met Her Match?,” presented to the annual conference of the California Chapter of the American Planning Association along with co-presenter Ed Johnson. This session represents the inaugural presentation of mediation to planners at a CCAPA annual conference.
04/06 Session Organizer and Panel Moderator for “How Mediator Styles and Written Standards of Conduct Create Chaos for the Practicing Mediator,” presented to the ABA’s Section of Dispute Resolution annual conference in Atlanta, GA.
12/05 “To Do or Not to Do: What’s Ethical in a Mediation?,” presented to the Riverside County Bar Association along with co-presenter Robert N. Dobbins.
11/05 “How Mediator Styles and Written Standards of Conduct Create Chaos for the Practicing Mediator,” presented to the Scholarship Workshop Series at the University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service.
03/05 “California’s Opportunity to Create Historical Precedent Regarding a Mediated Settlement Agreement’s Effect on Mediation Confidentiality and Arbitrability,” presented to the Scholarship Workshop Series at the University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service.
02/05 Keynote speaker for the Hemet/San Jacinto Bar Association. Presented talk on “Getting the Most Out of Your Mediations.”
05/04 “Dispute Resolution” workshop presented to Transitional Living Facility, Riverside, CA.
02/04 “Danger: Lost in Cyberspace (aka manipulating Internet activity to limit personal jurisdiction),” presented to the Riverside County Bar Association.
01/04 Ethics and Professional Responsibility session presenter for the Bridging the Gap program sponsored by the Riverside County Bar Association.
05/03 “Overview of Dispute Resolution Process from a Lawyer’s Perspective,” presented to the University of La Verne Mediation Clinic.
06/02 Ethics and Professional Responsibility session presenter for the Bridging the Gap program sponsored by the Riverside County Bar Association.
03/02 “When Seniors Need a Lawyer: Are You Really Getting the Professional Ethics You Deserve?,” a keynote speech given at the March 2002 monthly meeting of the Builder’s Fellowship, a senior citizens group in Riverside.
01/02 Ethics and Professional Responsibility session presenter for the Bridging the Gap program sponsored by the Riverside County Bar Association.
06/01 Ethics and Professional Responsibility session presenter for the Bridging the Gap program sponsored by the Riverside County Bar Association.
10/98 “How to Stay Clean by Avoiding UPL,” a workshop presented to Inland Counties Association of Paralegals, San Bernardino, CA.
10/98 Keynote speaker to University of California, Riverside’s Staff Mentor Orientation program.
09/98 Keynote speaker for monthly meeting of Inland Counties Association of Paralegals. Presented talk on “ADR, Conflict Management, Dispute Resolution — What Does it all Mean for Paralegals?”
01/98 “Ethics in the Law Office: The Interplay Between Attorneys and Support Staff,” presented to the Riverside County Bar Association, Riverside, CA; and to the San Bernardino County Bar Association, San Bernardino, CA.
10/97 “Ethics in the Law Office: The Interplay Between Attorneys and Support Staff,” presented to the Southwest Riverside County Bar Association, Temecula, CA.
09/97 “Conflict Management and Mediation,” presented to the Southern California Mediation Association’s Inland Area Roundtable, San Bernardino, CA.
08/97 “Conflict Management and Mediation,” presented to the Riverside County Department of Community Action’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Riverside, CA.
03/97 “Paralegals and Continuing Legal Education,” presented to Inland Counties Association of Paralegal’s Annual Student Colloquium.
05/96 “Increasing Law Office Productivity,” presented to the Desert Bar Association, Rancho Mirage, CA.
04/96 “How to Increase Your Income by $25,000 to $250,000 While Working Less,” presented to the San Bernardino County Bar Association, San Bernardino, CA.
03/96 “How to Use Legal Assistants Effectively,” presented to the West End San Bernardino County Bar Association, Ontario, CA.
02/96 “Ethics and the Legal Profession,” presented to the L.I.F.E. Society, University of California, Riverside Extension.
01/96 “Using Legal Assistants Effectively,” presented to the Riverside County Bar Association, Riverside, CA.

Awards / Honors

On August 1, 2009, received the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity International’s Silver Medallion Award for outstanding and extraordinary service to the Fraternity. The Medallion is awarded only upon resolution of the DTP Supreme Senate.
Received the 2007-08 and 2003-04 Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity International’s Award for Most Outstanding Professor of the Fraternity. This is a national award given to one professor each year. I am one of a few professors who have received this award more than once.
Received the 2002-03 Member of the Year Award from Soroptimist International of Riverside for my work on providing legal advice to the board of directors and chairing a major fundraising project.
Received the 1999 award of excellence in education from the Golden West Region of Soroptimist International for developing a one-day conference, “Developing Personal and Professional Potential.”
Received the University Continuing Education Association’s 1998 award for innovative programming in a noncredit course for developing a Symposium on the Endangered Species Act.

Additional Information

Professional Memberships

Licensed by California State Bar.
Admitted to the United States Supreme Court.
Admitted to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.
Admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Central & Southern Districts of California.
American Bar Association & its Section of Dispute Resolution. See notations in Volunteer Experiences regarding my active participation in the Section of Dispute Resolution.
Riverside County Bar Association, Member of Continuing Education Committee, 1996-98 and 2004 – present.
Association for Conflict Resolution.

Volunteer Experiences

Named to serve on a Civil Procedure panel of experts for the Legal Education, ADR, and Problem-Solving (LEAPS) Task Force of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s Law Schools Committee, 2011 to present.
Member, Ethical Guidance Committee, ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, 2010 – present.
Co-Chair, Ethics Committee, ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, September 2009 – August 2013.
Mediator, Riverside County Superior Court Panel, 2009 – present.
Mediator, DRS Corporation of Riverside County Bar Association, May 2007 – present.
Mediator, Riverside Small Claims Courts, 2005 – present.
Mediator, Orange County Small Claims Court, 2005 – 2006.
Mediator, Los Angeles County Superior Court Panel, Pomona, 2001 – 2005.
Judge Pro Tem, San Bernardino County Small Claims Court, 1999 – 2000.
Soroptimist International of Riverside, Riverside, CA, member 1991 – 2008; Outstanding Member of the Year, 2002-03; Board Member, 2006-07, 2004-05, 2001-03 & 1995-98; President, 1994-95; Second Vice-President, 1993-94. Appointed as a Committee Coordinator for the five-state Golden West Region during 1996-98 biennium and as a regional committee member for 2002-04 biennium.
Co-Chair of Stewardship Committee for local church (2007).
Pastor/Parish Relations Committee (1999 – 2001; Chair for 2001) for local church.
Steering Committee, North High School’s Legal and Protective Services Academy, 1997 – 2000.
Mediator for Inland Empire Chapter of Southern California Mediation Association, 1998 – 1999.
Riverside County Domestic Violence Coalition, 1998 – 1999.
Graduated from the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Riverside, Class of 1998.
President of the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sweetwater County, WY, 1985; Volunteer Big Sister, 1984-85.
National Ski Patrol, Medicine Bow Ski Area, WY, 1982-84.

Media Activities

10/24 – 10/28/11 Managed dialogue as part of Cyberweek 2011 regarding, “Maximizing Technology to Establish Trust in an Online, Non-Visual Mediation Setting.” Had over 600 hits in five days of Internet dialogue.
10-/25 – 10/29/10 Part of an Internet panel to manage a dialogue during Cyberweek 2010 regarding ethical issues involved in an online dispute resolution practice.
10/26 – 10/30/09 Part of an Internet panel to manage a dialogue during Cyberweek 2009 regarding ethical issues involved in an online dispute resolution practice.
04/07 Quoted regarding class action lawsuits at p. B-1 of the April 1, 2007 issue of The Press Enterprise. The article was entitled “Wells Fargo Fees Disputed.”
12/05 Quoted regarding the role of party self-determination in mediated cases at p. A-1 of the December 19, 2005 issue of The Press Enterprise. The article was entitled “A Civil Alternative: Arbitration and Mediation Pare Caseloads While Saving Time and Money.”
01/03 Solo guest for PBS Contemporary Legal Issues. This one-half hour nationally broadcast television program, entitled “Cybercourt—The Court of Next Resort,” was devoted to my research wherein I proposed the creation of an international cybercourt.
03/99 Panel member for PBS Contemporary Legal Issues. This one-half hour television show was entitled “Access to Justice.”
08/97 Panel member for PBS Contemporary Legal Issues. This one-half hour television show was entitled “Access to Justice.”

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