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President's Letter

This month WMA begins the process of seeking volunteers to fill the positions of its retiring board members. This annual changing of the guard affords us an opportunity to welcome new members interested in serving on our board and to recognize our retiring members for their past service to WMA members.

For members willing to contribute their time and energy, serving on the WMA Board provides one with the opportunity to help promote mediation as a dispute resolution process in the State of Washington. The Board serves as the governing body for WMA and works to support its members and their interests.

This year our retiring board members deserve special recognition for the many contributions they have made to the welfare of our organization. These individuals truly embody the spirit of volunteerism and community service.

Retiring members include Frances Andrews, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, Region 4 representative; Pat Cockerill, Ethics Committee chair, Region 6 representative; Rebecca Daniels, Education Committee chair, Region 5 representative; Lenee Jones, Ethics Committee vice-chair, Region 2 representative; Madeline Kardong, Membership Committee chair, Region 9 representative; and Fernne Schnitzer, Secretary, Region 7 representative.

On behalf of the entire WMA family, thank you Frances, Pat, Rebecca, Lenee, Madeline and Fernne for all that you have done on WMA's behalf.

If you are interested in serving on WMA's board or would like to submit a nomination, please email that information to Fernne Schnitzer at fernne42@hotmail.com. The new board will be appointed at WMA's annual meeting on May 7, 2004.

Participants will learn about the history and development of ODR, the current state of the field, the role of technology as a "fourth party," and the advantages and disadvantages of using online techniques to resolve disputes. The course will systematically explore several types of ODR platforms in use around the world, including automated negotiation, solution databases, and virtual meeting rooms.

Participants will also get a chance to try out the tools used to practice ODR, giving them a chance to confront common practice challenges and overcome frequently-encountered difficulties.

For more information, contact the Department of Technology and Dispute Resolution at UMass.

Surely online dispute resolution is fascinating. However, most of us still can use a little boost when it comes to the ever intriguig face to face sessions. How can you best use your own skills to be even more effective? Here is an article of interest, a great resource to print out for your new mediator training sessions.

Read on... »

News and Views

Ron Feld and Kathleen Nichols, Region 1, have been working with the Skagit County Superior Court on the criteria/qualifications for mediators on the court's mediator roster. You may wish to check with your county's court clerk to determine the qualifications/certifications for their mediator rosters.

If you have information you want in the next eNews from Washingtion Mediation forward it to the editor listed below. This publication comes out quarterly so be sure your information is time relevant. We always love to have stories, views, ideas for news!

Be sure to visit the Washington Mediation website - and more importantly refer clients to our FIND A MEDIATOR feature. Always interesting, always changing - just like mediation! Isn't that why we LOVE it?

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Neutral Territory

Ten years ago, taking a job as a neutral often meant slowing down from the hectic pace of a law firm partnership or the stress of the bench.

But today, demand for alternative dispute resolution services has shot up as the federal government and scores of companies are turning in greater numbers to neutrals to help them solve disputes.

"The field has moved from being an interesting hobby for volunteers to being a business that is supporting neutrals full time and is dealing with very complex litigation," says Linda Singer, a neutral in D.C.-based ADR Associates.

And while the growth has occurred nationwide, ADR providers say Washington, D.C., has, in many ways, been at the forefront. Irvine, Calif.-based JAMS, the country's largest for- profit ADR provider, has beefed up its presence in the District by moving into prime office space near Metro Center, hiring several high-profile neutrals, and acquiring ADR Associates. Companywide, annual revenue at JAMS has increased from $50 million in 1998 to $70 million in 2003. The group projects $80 million in revenue for 2004.

"We are seeing a very substantial increase all over the country," says Curtis von Kann, a neutral in the JAMS D.C. office and a former D.C. Superior Court judge.

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Short Stuff

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently held a public meeting to examine its National Mediation Program, the workplace benefits of mediation, and employer participation in EEOC mediation. "For more than a decade now, the EEOC has experimented with mediation as a means of effectively resolving workplace disputes to the satisfaction of all involved parties," says EEOC Chair Cari M. Dominguez, who has made mediation the centerpiece of her five-point plan to improve the agency's overall operations.

"We have observed, time and again, that mediation offers advantages over traditional enforcement and litigation strategies relative to speed, efficiency, relationships, and outcomes."

Since 1999, EEOC has mediated more than 50,000 cases with approximately 70 percent being successfully resolved in an average time of 85 days nearly half the time it takes to resolve a charge through the investigative process. _______________________________________________

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT:

National Association for Community Medication (NAFCM) awarded the Okanogan County Dispute Resolution Center a $4,500 grant to develop and implement a Juvenile Restorative Justice Program county-wide in 2004. The grant was one of fifteen grants awarded around the country to initiate new dispute resolution centers orinitiate new programs.

The Okanogan DRC is completing a community education and involvement grant funded by the Bridgebuider Foundation to raise community awareness of juvenile crime in this large rural county and introduce the restorative justice model.

Later this year, the DRC will offer a restorative justice training program and will be seeking experienced trainers. _______________________________________________

News from Washington

Senate to Consider New Mediation Provisions

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions approved Senate bill 1248 to amend the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to make mediation agreements enforceable in court and broaden the pool of mediators available to disputants. "Because the committee places such a high value on the successful use of mediation, it has added a provision stating that a written mediation agreement is enforceable in court," the report said. The committee also noted the success of mediation occurring throughout the nation in resolving disputes between parties under IDEA. _______________________________________________

Link Up

Hey, this site is a gold mine for links for those of us crazy about mediation!

http://www.lawmemo.com/emp/links/adr.htm

FEB ANNUAL ADR CONFERENCE

The Seattle Federal Executive Board ADR Consortium is holding their Annual ADR Training Conference on April 13, 2004 at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 9, Seattle. Everyone is welcome to attend. Speakers include Bill Lincoln, Ana Schofield, Dee Knapp, Ken Irons, Conrad Green and Stephanie Bell. Program descriptions and registration information is available at www.seattle.feb.gov.

WMA ANNUAL MEETING:

May 7th, 2004 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm at the Shoreline Conference Center, 18560 First Ave. NE, Seattle, WA. For more information, go to the conference website http://www.mediate.com/nwadr.

12th ANNUAL NORTHWEST ADR CONFERENCE

The NW ADR Conference will be held Friday, May 7, 2004 from 1:00-6:00 pm and Saturday May 8, 2004 from 8:30-5:00 pm at the Shoreline Conference Center, 18560 First Ave. NE, Seattle, WA. Mark you calendar now.

BASIC MEDIATION TRAINING:

The Okanogan Valley Dispute Resolution Center is having a 40-hour Basic Mediation Training in Omak, Washington, on March 10, 11, 17, 18 and 24, 2004. Space is available for a few more participants.

For information call 509-826-1776 or email: drc@ncidata.com

DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER OF THURSTON COUNTY TRAINING CALENDAR 2004

Thurston County's 40-Hour Basic Mediation Training is scheduled for March 25-27, April 1-3, June 21-25, and October 21-23 and 28-30. Their 20-Hour Family Mediation Training is scheduled for May 13-15, October 6-8, and November 4-6.

INTERLOCAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION GROUP

ILCRG 48-hour basic mediator training is scheduled for May 11 - 13 and 18 - 20, 8:30 - 4:30 each day. For registration information go to www.metrokc.gov/adr.

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