May 7, 2012

Don't Miss "Making the Most of Your Data, Part II" Webinar on May 17 - Back by popular demand, RSI Director of Research Jen Shack will be conducting another webinar on monitoring court ADR programs. Part of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM) webinar series, "Making the Most of Your Data, Part II" will be held on May 17 at 2:30pm Central. It will focus on creating good evaluation forms and improving data reports. Registration is no cost for NAFCM members and $20 for non-members. Register today to get Jen's expert insight on how to track your data.

May 7, 2012

Ohio City Pilots Municipal Court Mediation Program Model - The municipal court in Oregon, Ohio, launched a model mediation program in April for small claims and contract disputes. The model was developed in partnership with the Ohio Supreme Court's Dispute Resolution Section, and it is designed to be adapted for use in other municipal courts in the state. Eligible cases are automatically referred to mediation prior to filing. However, mediation is available post-filing on party request or court order. For mediations conducted prior to filing, parties are charged a $10 mediation fee. The model includes the court rule, forms and participant surveys.

May 7, 2012

Washington State Enacts Restorative Justice Law - The state of Washington enacted a law in March that amends the state's Juvenile Justice Act to add the option of using restorative justice to resolve cases involving juvenile offenders. Probation officers or diversion service organizations may now refer offenders to restorative justice programs. The law defines restorative justice as "practices, policies, and programs" that provide an opportunity for the victim, offender, family members and community members to communicate while being sensitive to victims' needs and encouraging offenders to accept responsibility for the harm their actions have caused.

May 7, 2012

Georgia Adopts Mediator Requirements for Juvenile Disputes - New requirements for mediators of juvenile disputes took effect in Georgia on May 1. The rules (on page 3 & 5 of the linked PDF) lay out training requirements for mediators to be authorized by the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution to mediate delinquency and deprivation (child protection) cases. For both case types, mediators must already be registered as general civil mediators. Delinquency mediators must complete an additional 16 hours of classroom training, and new mediators must be observed and co-mediate cases before mediating alone. Deprivation mediators must complete the requirements for delinquency mediators, as well as complete another 21-28 hours of classroom training (depending on whether they are already domestic relations mediators). Deprivation mediators must also hold a bachelor's degree in, or have equivalent experience in, child welfare.

April 2, 2012

Register Now for RSI Webinar on "Making the Most of Your Data" - RSI Director of Research Jennifer Shack will be presenting a webinar on how community mediation centers can make the most of the data they collect on April 12 from 2:30-3:30pm (Central). The webinar is part of a series being hosted by the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM). Ms. Shack will review what data is useful to collect, how to use data to improve programs and how to communicate findings to staff, funders and other audiences. Although the focus is on community mediation centers, the information will be useful to administrators of other mediation programs as well. Registration is no charge for NAFCM members and $20 for non-members. Click here to register today.

April 2, 2012

Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Advisory Panel Recommends New Bank Requirements - In a split vote, an advisory committee for the Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program has recommended that banks be required to disclose how much they paid for homeowners' mortgages during mediation. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the recommendation passed in a 7-5 vote and will now be considered by the Supreme Court. Supporters of the requirement hope that it will put added pressure on banks to modify mortgages by showing how cheaply they purchased some notes. Opponents argue that it would be difficult to fulfill the requirement and the information is irrelevant to the foreclosure negotiations. The committee also recommended that banks be required to provide homeowners with a list of required documents at the start of the mediation process, as well as calculations that show how the banks benefit from foreclosures vs. loan modifications.

April 2, 2012

Michigan Federal District Court Considers Eliminating Arbitration Program - The US District Court for the Western District of Michigan is accepting comments on a draft order proposing the elimination of its court-annexed arbitration program. According to the order, lawyers and clients rarely opt to use court-annexed arbitration, preferring other alternative forms of dispute resolution such as voluntary mediation. The order proposes repealing the court rule (Rule 16.6) governing the program. The court will vote on a final version of the proposed rules in June.