Professionals tend to think in terms of problem-solving as a point-to-
point straight-line progression. For an engineer, it means moving from
problem to design to construction to operation; for a physician, from
history to consultation to diagnosis to treatment to case follow-up.
For an attorney, it means receipt of a case, investigation and prepara
tion, attempts to resolve the case, commencement of litigation, trial,
judgment, enforcement of judgment. But recent thinking implicates oth
er considerations: For the attorney, that means consideration and use
of alternatives to litigation-mediation, fact-finding, mini-trial and
arbitration. This article demonstrates the use of all four in one case
, with a positive result: Resolution of a complex and difficult litiga
tion.