it’s Mediation Week in California
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March 18 – 24, 2007, is Mediation Week in California. The judiciary is celebrating with informational events across the state. (See YubaNet.com) The California Courts ADR events page says: “The third week in March is traditionally recognized as Mediation Week. During this week, many California courts, local governments, community dispute resolution programs, and private mediation organizations hold events to inform the public about the availability and benefits of mediation programs and to acknowledge the mediators and others who make those programs successful.” Click here for the Courts’ Alternative Dispute Resolution Homepage, to learn more about mediation and the programs available in California.
After seeing and experiencing a lot of resistance to mediation from the bar over the past two decades, I am pleased to see that the Board of Governors of The State Bar of California issued a proclamation Recognizing Mediation Week. Here are a few excerpts from the Proclamation:
- Whereas mediation is a dispute resolution process in which a neutral third person facilitates communication between disputants to help them reach a mutually acceptable agreement;
Whereas mediation offers many potential benefits to litigants, the courts, and the public,including increasing the interested parties satisfaction with the litigation process and the courts and voluntary compliance with the terms of resolution, while reducing pretrial motions and trials, the time from the filing of an action to disposition, future disputes between the parties, recidivism, litigants costs, and court workloads;- Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California recognizes the week of March 18 through 24, 2007, as Mediation Week, commends the efforts of all those who make mediation and mediation programs available to the citizens of California, and encourages the local bar associations to recognize those individuals and publicize local mediation programs during Mediation Week.
