Faculty

Michael T. Colatrella, Jr., J.D., LL.M.
Instructor

Michael T. Colatrella Jr. is Assistant Professor of Law at McGeorge School of Law where he teaches Mediation, Negotiation, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Civil Trial Practice.  He is co-author of the interdisciplinary text Mediation—Skills & Techniques (Lexis/Nexis 2008) that is widely used in law schools, graduate schools, and schools of diplomacy. 

 Prior to joining the faculty at McGeorge, he served as Director of Southern Methodist University’s Center for Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management. He also served as a full‑time Lecturer-in-Law from 2000-05 at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law where he taught Legal Research, Writing and Advocacy.

Before pursuing a full‑time academic career, Professor Colatrella was a litigator in New Jersey at Reed Smith Shaw & McClay, which is listed among The American Lawyer's top 100 law firms in the United States.  He also has experience working for both trial and appellate courts. He clerked at the New Jersey Superior Court for Judge Andrew P. Napolitano, now Senior Judicial Analyst for Fox News, and served an internship on the United States Court of Appeals for Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr., now Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

 Professor Colatrella is a court-approved mediator in California, Texas, New Jersey and Kansas, and a former member of the Association of American Law Schools’ Executive Committee for Dispute Resolution.  Since 1991, he has mediated disputes involving employment contracts, commercial contracts, consumer fraud suits, personal injury, and commercial and residential leases. 

Professor Colatrella also educates corporate executives and business people in a wide variety of conflict management and human relations matters. He has consulted for public and private organizations such as Ericsson, Lockheed Martin, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, EDS, Alliance Data, Tenet Health Systems, Frito Lay, FEMA, and Capgemni.

 Mr. Colatrella received his B.A. in 1987 from Rutgers University and his J.D. in 1991 from Seton Hall University School of Law.  In 1999, he received his LL.M. (Masters of Law) from New York University School of Law, specializing in International Civil Procedure and Alternative Dispute Resolution