Mike Palmer began teaching and practicing negotiation and conflict management professionally in 1992. He has a Ph.D. from the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany, where he taught social ethics and philosophy. A graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, Dr. Palmer practiced commercial litigation and bankruptcy law for 24 years. He has taught jurisprudence, philosophy, social ethics, and dispute resolution at several colleges and universities in Germany and the United States. He currently teaches negotiation and conflict management at Middlebury College and has conducted numerous workshops at national and international conferences on the management of disputes in environmental, educational, legal, medical, and workplace matters.

In the spring and summer of 2004, Dr. Palmer served as a special consultant to the Ministry of Justice of Jordan on the establishment and implementation of a court-annexed mediation program. He also traveled to Karelia Russia as a consultant on alternative dispute resolution programs.

A former chair of the Vermont Bar Association ADR Committee, Dr. Palmer is a leader in the Association for Conflict Resolution as well as the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section.

Mike has written extensively in the conflict management field. His articles include "To Cybersettle or Not To Cybersettle," "Problem-Solving Negotiation: What’s In it for You . . . and Your Clients?" "Negotiating With School Professionals" (Chapter in Handbook on Special Education), "Bullyproofing Your School," "When Playful Teasing Turns Mean," and "The Magic of Mediation." He is currently at work on a book to assist others in teaching negotiation and conflict management in colleges and graduate schools.