Includes American Bar Association and Campus Compact which provides additional resources including a directory to private and non-profit providers of services and products concerning civil discourse.

American Bar Association

American Bar Association is the United States’ largest voluntary legal association.

• Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics/Civility/Collaboration (2022)
  Provides a conversation guide for legal community, public audiences, and students, to model civil discourse on topical issues and promote civics, civility, and collaboration.
• Disagreeing Better (2024)
  3-part continuing legal education series explores lawyer’s role in supporting American democracy and focuses on rule of law, civil discourse, and election integrity.
• Civility and Collaboration: U.S. and International Perspectives (2023)
  Video of moderated panel discussion for National Law Day
• Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Preamble and Scope
  ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides guidance on lawyer’s professional conduct.
• Resolution 108: Promoting Civil Discourse (2011)
  ABA House of Delegates resolution urges all lawyers and ABA member entities “to take meaningful steps to enhance the constructive role of lawyers in promoting a more civil and deliberative public discourse.”
• Resolution 501: Supporting Civility in Public Discourse (2023)
  ABA House of Delegates reaffirmed Resolution 108.
• Standard and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools 303
  Provides law school curriculum requirements for professional responsibility including conduct.
• Restoring Respect In Public Discourse: An Appeal to the Legal Profession and All Americans
  Provides a Guide for Leading Community Discussions

Campus Compact

Campus Compact is the largest and oldest higher education association dedicated to civic and community engagement. Provides best practices and resources.

• Better Discourse: Listing of Bridge-Building and Civil Discourse Service Providers. Shares private and non-profit organizations that provide training, consulting, facilitation, and other services and includes a table of services and resources provided by each.
• Better Discourse: A Guide for Bridging Campus Divides in Challenging Times
  This starter kit for universities focuses on inclusive, constructive dialogue.
• Better Discourse: Reflective Inquiry Guide
  Offers an inquiry-based approach utilizing self-reflection to understand resources, goals, contexts, paths, and allies.
• Better Discourse: Resources for Addressing Current Issues
  Offers a resource library to increase knowledge and ability in civic engagement.
• Using Better Discourse Session 1 and Session 2
  These webinars focused on helping universities and colleges prepare for the upcoming academic year.
• Syllabi Library (Available to members)

Centers for Teaching and Learning

Many institutions have centers or departments that provide instructional design, teaching, learning, and other similar support to faculty, and many of them have publicly-accessible resources for handling difficult conversations in the classroom.

• University of Washington Center for Teaching & Learning
• Vanderbilt Center for Teaching
• Washington University in St. Louis Center for Teaching and Learning
• Harvard University L. Warren, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning

National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation

National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation is a network of practitioners who bring people together across divides on challenging issues. For this community of practice NCDD serves as a gather place, a resource center, and a news source.

• Beginner’s Guide defines dialogue an deliberation, lists a glossary of terms, provides arguments for dialogue and deliberation, and shares how to run a dialogue and deliberation program.
• Manuals and Guides shares listing of guidebooks that help you organize, convene, and facilitate dialogue & deliberation processes.
• Models and Techniques provides descriptions of leading models of dialogue and deliberation, including what circumstances the models are best suited for, information about the organizations and networks affiliated with the model, and resources for learning more.
• Resource Center lists various resources provided by this network of practitioners and includes guides, manuals, glossaries, descriptions, and other information.

National Institute for Civil Discourse

The National Institute for Civil Discourse builds the nation’s capacity to engage difference more constructively by promoting healthy and civil public dialogue and focusing on conversations across the divide to open doors and find common ground.

• The Disagree Better Initiative was founded by the National Governors Association and is about turning conflict into cultural change. 
  • How-To Guide provides real-world techniques to help you stay curious instead of defensive, and navigate conflicts in a productive way.
  • Research and Resources supports a better way to persuade without hating each other. 
  • Toolkit  includes books, courses, and videos to help you transform good intentions into real skills for disagreeing better. 
• The National Civility Network is comprised of institutes and centers committed to civility work.
• Projects and Grants includes research briefs, debate standards, and surveys.
• Research Network provides a listing of interdisciplinary scholarly community of top experts in the field.
• Teaching: Provides sample syllabi for teaching about political discourse.