The Internet, as I have discussed before, provides vast opportunities for connection and communication, facilitating dialogue and the dissemination of information. Simultaneously conference center, marketplace, library, and town square, it is at once local, national, and global, transcending the limits of physical geography.

This of course has legal, business and social ramifications. What laws govern in cyberspace? What rules define conduct and interactions in a space without borders? What role can attorneys, business owners, and others play here to develop processes and protocols that instill confidence in online transactions and communications?

Jeffrey Aresty, of Aresty International Law Offices, P.C., an e-commerce and Internet business law practice based in Boston, has been pondering these kind of questions.

To explore these and other questions relevant to the practice of law and online commerce, he recently founded InternetBar.org, a virtual legal community and bar association for attorneys around the world. InternetBar.org’s mission is to promote the practice of law online, further the development of sound ethical practices in cyberspace, and “work towards the harmonization of the rule of law on the internet”—all through the collaborative efforts of members.

Membership and registration are free and provide visitors to the site with access to the full texts of articles and the ability to participate in web-based discussions. For more information and to read InternetBar.org’s statement of purpose, click here.

Dina Beach Lynch, a leader in the ADR field and a successful entrepreneur who has launched several businesses, including most recently WorkWellTogether.com, a web site offering workplace conflict coaching services for professionals, has a proposition for you.

If you’re a mediator about to start your own business, she’d like to hear from you. Dina is offering to mentor two mediators through the start-up phase of building a business—using her blog, Mediation Mensch, as a forum for sharing this experience with her readers. (This is free, mind you.) All you need to do is drop her an e-mail telling her who you are, what your goals are, and why coaching you will bring benefits to all her readers. Visit Dina’s blog for further details.