Susan Nauss Exon

Professor of Law
J.D., University of Wyoming
LL.M., Pepperdine University
A.S.B., Central Pennsylvania College

At the College of Law since 1999, Professor Exon offers a wealth of legal knowledge to the students she teaches. Prior to coming to the College of Law, 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. She has extensive legal experience in the private, public, and governmental sectors, including emphases in real estate and construction defects, business torts, unfair competition, trademarks and trade names, wrongful termination, civil rights, equal protection, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Professor Exon has received several awards for her work in education, speaks frequently at the national, state, and local level regarding alternative dispute resolution and ethical topics, and has numerous published papers and articles. Several articles pertain to cyberjurisdiction, and she has proposed the creation of a cybercourt with jurisdiction over online disputes. Professor Exon's current research relates to mediation issues concerning ethics and standards of conduct.

Susan Nauss Exon is a Professor of Law at the University of La Verne College of Law. Professor Exon joined the College of Law in August 1999. Prior to coming to the College of Law, she served for four years as the Director of Law and Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside Extension, where she created and developed 89 new certificate courses and other special one-day seminars and conferences. Her development of an Endangered Species Act Symposium earned national recognition, receiving the University Continuing Education Association's 1998 award for innovative programming in a noncredit course.

Professor Exon practiced law for six years, serving primarily as a defense litigator for Best, Best & Krieger, LLP. She handled all aspects of general business, civil, and public law litigation as she represented many southern California cities and other governmental entities. Her litigation experience focused on construction defects, real estate, business torts, unfair competition, trademarks and trade names, wrongful termination, civil rights, equal protection, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Professor Exon has an A.S.B. Degree as a Legal Assistant from Central Pennsylvania College, and a J.D. degree from the University of Wyoming College of Law, where she served on the staff of the Land and Water Law Review. In 2006, Professor Exon earned an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution from the prestigious Straus Institute at Pepperdine University School of Law.

Professor Exon has published numerous law review and journal articles, focusing on mediation, civil procedure and ethics topics. Since June 2006, Professor Exon has served as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Settle it Now Dispute Resolution Journal, an online publication.

Professor Exon is an active member of the California State Bar. She is also admitted in the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court, and the United States District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts of California. She is an active member of the American Bar Association including its Dispute Resolution Section, the Federal Bar Association, the Riverside County Bar Association, and the Association for Conflict Resolution.

Professor Exon serves as the faculty advisor to the Egly Senate of the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity. She received the 2003-04 Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity, International Award for Most Outstanding Professor of the Fraternity, a national award given to one professor each year.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (LAW 548 - 2 or 3 units)
A study of alternatives to traditional litigation, including negotiation, mediation, settlement conferences, judicial and contractual arbitration, private judging options, and settlement considerations.

California Civil Procedure (LAW 549 - 2 units)
A course designed for students who will be taking the California Bar Exam. It will focus on California rules of civil procedure and common law regarding jurisdiction, venue, service of process, conflict of laws, pleading, joinder, discovery, disposition without trial, appeal, and prior adjudications.

Civil Procedure (LAW 540A, B - 3 units, 2 units)
A study of the constitutional and jurisprudential aspects of civil procedure. Subjects covered include jurisdiction, venue, joinder of parties and claims, including issues of standing, justiciability, pleading requirements, discovery, right to trial by jury, the effects of a prior judgment on subsequent proceedings, the interaction between state and federal court systems, and the scope of appellate review.

Law Practice Seminar: Principles, Policies and Ethics (LAW 674 - 2 units)
The course is offered in a seminar format and addresses some of the ethical and moral problems that attorneys encounter in practice. Emphasis is placed on current events, public policy issues, and hot-button professional responsibility topics. Students will be provided an opportunity to gain expertise in a particular area of their choice

Mediation (LAW 545 - 2 units)
A study of the process in which a third-party mediator assists others in reaching consensus. Through discussions, simulations, and case studies, students explore the theory, practice, policies, and ethics of mediation, including the role of lawyers in mediation.

Negotiation (LAW 546 - 2 units)
A study of the theory, practice, and policies of one-on-one and multiple-party negotiations. The course is designed around discussions, simulations, and case studies to focus on the negotiation process, including the pre-planning preparation, negotiation strategies and styles, communication skills, emotional and psychological barriers, the role of lawyers in negotiations, and ethics.

Professional Responsibility (LAW 675 - 2 units)
A study of the organization of the legal profession and the duties and responsibilities of lawyers toward clients, the public, the courts, and other attorneys. This study of the standards and processes by which lawyers are disciplined gives particular attention to the Model Rules of the American Bar Association and the rules and statutes governing California attorneys.

Work in Progress, The Effect that Mediator Styles Impose on Neutrality and Impartiality Requirements of Mediation.

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).

Should the Word "Negligence" be Included in an Exculpatory Clause in Order to Relieve a Person from Liability for His Own Negligence? Schutkowski v. Carey, 725 P.2d 1057 (Wyo. 1986), 23 LAND & WATER L. REV. 577 (1988).

The Ethics of Mediation, 57 Riverside County Lawyer 13 (June 2007).

The Heart and Soul of International Adoptions: Laws are not Enough, 57 Riverside County Lawyer 18 (Jan. 2007).

Profile of Diane Petropulos (1995-96 President), The Paralegal Educator (1997).

Technology and Legal Education, Riverside County Lawyer (1996).

4/07 Panel Member for "Helping Mediation Program Administrators Grapple with Problems in Developing Quality Mediation Programs," presented to the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution (National Conference on Court ADR) annual conference.

01/07 Panel Member for "Ethics Marathon 2007," presented to the Riverside County Bar Association.

01/07 Presented the Ethics and Professional Responsibility session of 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 Moderator for "How Mediator Styles and Written Standards of Conduct Create Chaos for the Practicing Mediator," presented to the American Bar Association's Dispute Resolution annual conference.

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 Presentation to the Scholarship Workshop Series at the University of La Verne College of Law. My topic was "How Mediator Styles and Written Standards of Conduct Create Chaos for the Practicing Mediator."

03/05 Presentation to the Scholarship Workshop Series at the University of La Verne College of Law. My topic was "California's Opportunity to Create Historical Precedent Regarding a Mediated Settlement Agreement's Effect on Mediation Confidentiality and Arbitrability."

02/05 Keynote speaker for the Hemet/San Jacinto Bar Association. Presented talk on "Getting the Most Out of Your Mediations."

05/04 Presented "Dispute Resolution" workshop 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 Presented the Ethics and Professional Responsibility session of 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 Presented the Ethics and Professional Responsibility session of 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 Presented the Ethics and Professional Responsibility session of the Bridging the Gap program sponsored by the Riverside County Bar Association.

06/01 Presented the Ethics and Professional Responsibility session of the Bridging the Gap program sponsored by the Riverside County Bar Association.

11/98 Participated in roundtable discussion of careers in the law to undergraduate students at University of California, Riverside

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.

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 television program, entitled "Cybercourt - The Court of Next Resort," was devoted to my research wherein I proposed the creation of an international cybercourt. The program was broadcast nationwide.

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."

Susan Nauss Exon
Professor of Law
University of La Verne College of Law
320 East D Street
Ontario, California 91764
USA

Tel: (909) 460-2043
Fax: (909) 460-2081
E-mail: sexon@laverne.edu
The best way to reach me is by e-mail.

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