A structure has been put in place around gang mediation and police officers will directly engage with students to stem the growth of the gang culture, read

After AT&T somehow convinced the U.S. Supreme Court that a couple of sentences buried toward the end of a contract that maybe .05% of customers ever think about reading was all that was needed to preempt class-action lawsuits, many large companies have rushed to pack their user agreements and licenses with clauses that force customers into arbitration. But, stuck in a battle with an industry regulator, the folks at Charles Schwab have decided to go another way, announcing that they have gotten rid of their arbitration clause… for now. read

Arbitration, and not litigation, is the driving force behind rules that federal regulators hope will settle simmering disputes between freight railroads and shippers, including coal plant operators.

The Surface Transportation Board announced the policies May 13, after nearly three years of studying prolonged rate challenge cases. “Changes to the arbitration rules are intended to consolidate and simplify formerly separate arbitration procedures and to encourage greater use of arbitration,” the board said. read

The Training Resource Center (TRC) will be the largest compilation of community mediation resources in the country. NAFCM will partner with community mediation centers across the country to collect new and existing resources including but not limited to PowerPoint, handouts, mocks, videos, and more. read

Kobe Bryant, the All-Star basketball guard, must undergo mediation before a possible June 17 trial to resolve a dispute over whether a New Jersey auctioneer can sell his memorabilia on behalf of his mother. U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb set a mediation session for May 17 in federal court in Camden, New Jersey, to try to settle a lawsuit between Bryant and Goldin Auctions LLC. Bryant, a Los Angeles Laker, seeks to block Goldin Auctions from selling 100 items consigned by his mother, Pamela Bryant. The firm estimates the auction could raise more than $1 million. read

With little fanfare or news coverage, the four sexual coercion lawsuits confronting Bishop Eddie Long had the first hearing recently, with both sides opting for mediation to avoid a trial.

"Bishop Eddie Long agreeing to mediation of sexual coercion charges is an end-run around the universally accepted moral and ethical responsibilities of any ecumenical leader. Mediation of sexual allegation grievances is tantamount to an admission of "some" guilt, "some" form of ministerial misconduct. Innocent folk don't make deals if the claims against them are baseless and untrue. Mediation for the accused is a forfeiture of the right to ever claim innocence, and readers should be absolutely clear on this point." read

Amazon.com’s response to two former sellers complaining about tied-up payments can be summed up as: We’ll see you in arbitration.  Seattle-based Amazon, in a 28-page document filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, asks Judge Marsha Pechman to move the case to arbitration. The two sellers claimed in a lawsuit filed in March that Amazon refused to pay them for more than 90 days after it shuttered their accounts. They want full restitution of “monies wrongfully obtained,” plus interest and other unspecified damages.

In its response, Amazon noted that when the plaintiffs signed up to sell products on its website they agreed to arbitrate any disputes.  The suit, which seeks class-action status, says Amazon routinely holds sellers’ money longer than allowed to rack up interest and “reap many tens of millions of dollars annually.” read

The decision to divorce is probably one of the most important -- and most difficult -- decisions one will make during the course of a marriage. The unknowns and avalanche of effects falling like dominoes are often too overwhelming for one person to handle: "How do I start the process? When is the best time for me to initiate the divorce? If and when I make the decision to divorce, should I litigate or mediate?" It can be mind-boggling. read

As discussed by the American Association for Justice, the new law seeks to end the abusive practice of so many large corporations, including nursing home conglomerates, that seek to insulate themselves from legal accountability with forced arbitration. As the AAJ summarized, the law is critically needed, because when it comes to arbitration, “The process is secretive, costly and rigged so that corporations cannot be held accountable. By removing access to justice, it grants corporations a license to steal and violate the law.” read

Ever find yourself in a collaborative situation that’s gone awry? Maybe one person on the team dominates the conversation or an offhand comment distracts everyone for a whole meeting. Experts in social computing are developing a virtual mediator to turn around unproductive discussions. read

A reform that was supposed to help the average American and cut the costs of litigation ended up being hijacked by the large and powerful. Now legislation has been introduced in Washington to return the effort to something resembling its original goals. read

The cost of conflicts on Africa’s development between 1990 and 2005 was about $300 billion (about R272.31bn), according to Oxfam International findings published in 2007. The study, “Africa’s Missing Billion”, shows that our continent loses an average of $18 billion a year because of armed conflicts. This is a clear demonstration of the imperative need for peaceful conflict resolution through mediation in Africa. read

The government aims to beef up the resolution framework for community disputes to make it more robust and effective. Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said one possibility is to set up a body that can order mandatory mediation for difficult cases. read

In Continental Sales Ltd v R Shipping Inc., the Lagos Court of Appeal ruled that serving an arbitration notice by email constitutes effective service of the arbitration notice under the English Arbitration Act 1996, for the purposes of registering and enforcing a foreign arbitral award in Nigeria. read

This program provides an important resource for the male adolescents residing in Juvenile Hall, as they experience issues as impactful as race conflicts and gang rivalries. “Many of the minors have never been exposed to conflict resolution techniques outside of physical fighting, so providing information on how to communicate needs and interests is a new concept." read

In family law mediation, it is not uncommon to hear the parties question their judgment regarding the difficult decision to proceed with divorce. Can a troubled marriage really be saved? Is the relationship really worth saving? Does the couple need a mediator? read

A Westchester community group is seeking legal mediation with the city of Los Angeles regarding a plan to move a runway at Los Angeles International Airport. The request comes two days after the Los Angeles City Council approved, on a vote of 10-3, a proposal to move the airport's northernmost runway 260 feet closer to Westchester homes and businesses. read

A Fresno County farming company is suing the state, saying it unfairly imposed a requirement to negotiate with a labor union on behalf of thousands of its workers. Gerawan Farming Company, one of the largest tree fruit growers in the state, is suing the Agricultural Labor Relations Board and the United Farm Workers union, alleging the state failed to meet the requirements for imposing mandatory mediation against the company. The 42-page lawsuit, filed Monday in Fresno County Superior Court, also claims the process is unconstitutional. read

What do the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (with over 200 organizational members), Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports), the AFL-CIO, the NAACP, the National Women’s Law Center, and the Center for Justice & Democracy, have in common? Many good things, of course, but yesterday, they were all among a boatload of organizations signing a letter supporting the introduction of the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2013. This legislation would end forced arbitration. read

I have long railed against the insidious system known as mandatory arbitration which is foisted upon investors who deal with brokers. I testified about the unfairness of this system before a congressional sub-committee. I co-authored a study showing the dismal results for investors when they attempted to recover losses caused by the misconduct of their brokers. It's not surprising that a comprehensive study found most participants in these arbitrations believed the sessions were biased and unfair. read

A judge handling a $2 billion lawsuit against banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and UBS AG (UBSN) brought by the former Thornburg Mortgage invited their lawyers to file statements on the possible appointment of a mediator to resolve the dispute, according to a federal court filing in Baltimore. read

“My family is hiring a mediator to help us divide a complicated estate. How should we choose? What questions should we ask?” read

San Bernardino County and Ontario joined Culver City and Inglewood on Tuesday, May 7, in demanding mediation with the city of Los Angeles over its environmental report on the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport.  All three cities and the county had raised concerns about the report, which the Los Angeles City Council used to approve the expansion and moving the north runway closer to neighboring homes and businesses. Ontario and San Bernardino County are concerned that expanding LAX will further siphon passenger traffic away from Ontario International Airport, which has lost 40 percent of its passenger volumes since 2007.  Los Angeles officials have five days to respond to the demand. If they fail to do so or refuse to go to mediation, the cities and the county can sue. read

The selection criteria for in-house counsel choosing mediators is 'a-changin'. A survey of in-house dispute resolution counsel from 76  arge international corporations focused on what criteria the counsel used when selecting a mediator. The results highlighted that almost half of the counsel who responded to the survey don't consider the legal expertise of the mediator as a relevant factor when selecting a mediator. The majority of respondents felt that the core area of expertise of the mediator was a more important factor. read

Mediation is the only way forward for "messy and expensive" company law disputes according to the senior judge who manages corporate divorces.  High Court judge Ms Justice Mary Laffoy said that company law disputes, often between longstanding friends and siblings, as well as husbands and wives, are highly expensive and time consuming, with many lasting for years.  "Mediation has application across the board, and I think most judges would welcome a mediation act" said Judge Laffoy. read

Johannesburg - Over 70% of debt mediation cases resulted in a positive outcome for consumers in the first quarter of this year, the National Debt Mediation Association (NDMA) says. "Each consumer's case is unique and requires a different solution, and the ability of the NDMA to provide expert advice and guidance has benefited consumers immensely," CEO Magauta Mphahlele said in a statement. The NDMA closed 863 cases in the first quarter of the year, up from 679 in the last quarter of 2012. read

About 3,000 volunteer judicial facilitators allow many cases to be settled out of court, while also working to prevent crime. Marvin Aguilar (left), vice president of Nicaragua’s Supreme Court of Justice, greets a judicial facilitator during a training event. Of the 3,000 facilitators in Nicaragua, 2,000 work in rural areas and 1,000 in urban areas. read

Mozambique’s main opposition party called for international mediation in talks with the government to resolve a political crisis after a series of attacks in which eight people died last month. read

From The Association of Indian Mediators - A large number of disputes can be settled outside the courtroom. This is less expensive for the parties and eases pressure on courts read

The goal of pre-facto mediation is to stave off full-fledged litigation after the death or incapacity of the family leader and, through a guided mediation process, to help family members find peaceful resolutions to inheritance issues. The hope is that in this way harmony at home can be preserved without a great deal of lawyer's fees and court costs. read

The importance of mediations as an effective tool in reaching a settlement cannot be stressed enough. A mediation provides counsel with a very unique opportunity. It is often the one time in the entire litigation process where you have the opportunity to discuss the claim, your client’s injuries, and the damages, directly with the decision maker who has the authority to settle the action. read

A group of 37 federal lawmakers urged U.S. securities regulators to prohibit Wall Street brokers from forcing customers to sign away their legal right to sue. read

The UK Intellectual Property Office has recently launched a new mediation services to help businesses resolved disputes faster and more cheaply.

The move follows the Hargreaves report which identified reasons why an earlier mediation service was rarely used and assessed how it could be improved to meet the needs of businesses. The service will now offer a greater choice of mediation options including telephone sessions and will provide a wider list of specialist accredited mediators and a more flexible fee scale.

Disputes from infringement of an IP right, issues about IP licensing, copyright licensing issues and patent entitlement will all come within the ambit of the services. read

A bill to abolish mandatory foreclosure mediation in St. Louis and St. Louis County is nearing passage in the Missouri Legislature, to the chagrin of housing advocates. The bill would kill a system in which homeowners can demand a final, face-to-face meeting with the lender and a mediator before their house is taken in foreclosure. The bill caught foreclosure counselors by surprise. read

Once upon a time, Supreme Court-certified mediators knew of no statutes, rules or common law governing court-ordered mediation in good faith; mediation communications were confidential; mediators were required to report the absence of an agreement without comment and mediators were not permitted to report failure of parties to mediate in good faith.

Yet, in advisory opinion 2012-005, Florida Supreme Court's Mediator Ethics Advisory Committee stated a certified mediator may disclose a party failed to negotiate in good faith or willfully failed to appear at a court-ordered mediation as required by the local rules of the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida.

For more than a decade nationwide, Legislatures and the judiciary have mandated good faith mediation in the belief the threat of sanctions promotes more productive participation and reduces the backlog of cases. Like it or not, it appears mandated good faith mediation is here to stay. read

A mediation order has been given in regard to Stryker hip lawsuits pending in New Jersey consolidation. The judge overseeing the coordination has issued the mediation order to see whether Stryker hip settlements are possible, even while the litigation process continues. read

The Lagos State commissioner for justice and attorney general Mr Ade Ipaye has disclosed that the Citizens Mediation Centre in the state has handled about 30,686 cases and also facilitated the collection of a total sum of N446, 407,946.00 between May 2012 and March, 2013. read

The second Istanbul Conference on Mediation was held again in Istanbul under the auspices of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after a year of conflicts ranging across the world from Syria to Mali, from the Philippines to Sudan and Iraq. The conference aims to promote mediation in global conflict resolution approaches and provide a platform to bring together representatives engaged in mediation and peacemaking, such as policy makers, academics and NGOs, among others. read

Attorney General Lisa Madigan today awarded $5 million in grants from the national foreclosure settlement to fund the creation and implementation of new mortgage foreclosure mediation programs in counties with significant needs but without current programs. read

IP cases in the entertainment industry are great candidates for mediation and arbitration.  The importance of secrecy and privacy, The need for expertise and the flexibility that ADR offers are three reasons why intellectual property and entertainment practitioners should use ADR as much as possible. read

A previously vacated award of $1.4 million to a former Thomas Kinkade artwork dealer was not revived on appeal this month due to the same irregularities in the arbitration process that had caused a federal district court to reject the award in 2010. read

Why compromise? Increasingly in civil litigation there are no winners — not even the lawyers, following the review and implementation of Sir Rupert Jackson’s report into costs. The question is rapidly being re-phrased as “Why litigate?” read

MGIC Investment Corp. (MTG), the mortgage insurer whose shares more than doubled this year, said it settled part of a dispute with Bank of America Corp. over loans that it covered. The accord excludes a disagreement over the curtailment of some coverage, and the parties plan to mediate the dispute and enter arbitration if necessary read

A bill approved by the Montana Legislature gives victims of domestic violence – both physical and emotional – the power to choose whether they want mediation in family law cases. read

A High Court judge has ordered the family of late scouting pioneer Dennis Goh Chin Chye to go for mediation, to settle the row over a five-room HDB flat valued at S$800,000. It is a last-ditch effort to resolve the long-running feud between Mr Goh's 91-year-old widow Eileen Chia Yoke Mui and her two daughters. The mediation, which takes place on Thursday, will involve Madam Chia's two daughters and two sons. read

Although the overall rate of divorce in the country continues to fall, divorce rates among baby boomers are on the rise. In fact, separations for those over the age of 50 recently doubled. In addition to starting a trend called "grey divorce," boomers are also exploring alternative ways to finalize their divorces. Instead of following the more traditional courtroom divorce process boomers are considering mediation and collaborative divorce as options. read

In accordance with the Sandy Recovery and Improvement Act, which was signed into law by President Obama last January, FEMA is planning to set up a pilot program to organize approximately 50 to 75 arbitrations to try to resolve disputes between applicants for disaster assistance (legitimately valued at $1 million or more) and FEMA. read

A mortgage mediation program that requires lenders and homeowners to have a face-to-face discussion before a home goes into foreclosure is close to getting a four-year extension.  The legislation was passed unanimously by the Senate. read

Parents are losing a major advocate in their fight against toxic PCBs in the city's schools, as the leading activists are taking a temporary step back from the battle to enter mediation with the Department of Education.  read

The three strippers who filed a class action lawsuit against their former employer have agreed to participate in arbitration. read

Empowering elderly people to maintain the quality of their lives and not become victims of abuse and discrimination is one of the aims of a conference being held at the University of South Australia. The Sixth Annual World Summit on Mediation with Age Related Issues is a joint venture between UniSA and the Elder Mediation International Network (EMIN), designed to increase awareness of the benefits of mediation, highlighting global examples of best practice in elder mediation. read

The love affair with mediation has resulted in a situation where lawyers have tossed negotiation out of the legal tool kit. Most lawyers are loath to negotiate; in fact too many negotiation is an anathema. read

Sparring between Colorado’s Medicaid managers and those building the state’s new health exchange prompted an outside analyst to recommend a “third party to triage and manage the project.”  A mediator from the New Jersey-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation now will come to Colorado to help managers get the giant multi-million dollar project off the ground on time by Oct. 1 when it’s slated to open to consumers. read

Over the last number of years, mediation has become increasingly used or considered as an alternative dispute resolution process in Ireland. According to the CEDR Ireland/ICMA Mediation Audit 2013, mediations have increased by 739% between 2003 and 2012 and 73% of all mediations surveyed reached agreement. read

A resident that filed three complaints with the state because she was denied city records said the New Jersey Government Records Council is now mediating the matter. read

A bill approved by the Montana Legislature gives victims of domestic violence – both physical and emotional – the power to choose whether they want mediation in family law cases.

“We thought that the absolute bar disempowers survivors and basically substitutes the state’s prerogatives for women’s choice,” University of Montana associate law professor Eduardo Capulong, who with four students in the law school’s mediation clinic wrote HB 555. The bar “revictimizes survivors by robbing them of control over their lives – in particular, the way in which they choose to resolve disputes with their abusers.”

The bill was backed by a coalition including domestic violence and mediation groups, as well as judges, Although the bill originally failed to make it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, a second attempt won unanimous support among committee members. read

Some organic farmers are rethinking taking on interns this growing season after a Vancouver Island farm was forced to pay thousands of dollars in back wages to unpaid workers. read

SEC member Luis Aguilar was on the right track last week when he told an audience at the North American Securities Administrators Association Inc. that investors should not be forced into mandatory-arbitration agreements when they sign on with a broker or investment adviser. By requiring clients to agree to arbitration as the only way to settle disputes, firms are unnecessarily eliminating an important avenue of redress that is available to nearly every other class of consumer. read

The new rule proposed by the FINRA would do away with the need to select an arbitration panel, but would allow parties to disputes to select arbitrators from three lists. One list will have the names of 10 people competent to chair the arbitration panel. Another list will have the names of 10 people who are public arbitrators and do not have any connection to the securities and finance industry, and the third list will have the names of 10 persons who can function as arbitrators, but also have connections to Wall Street. read

When doing business in the maritime industry, someone will inevitably file a legal claim against your company, or you will file a claim against someone else. Although litigation is always good for your legal team, it is often not good for the litigants. read

The Office of the Premier in the North West province is to host a workshop on the mediation strategy to manage relations between tourism, mining and land claims. The two-day provincial engagement involves key stakeholders in all of the sectors read

Parties in a federal lawsuit over the proposed $652 million deepening of the Savannah harbor are considering a possible settlement. read

An increasingly bitter dispute between judges and the Government has been defused after the Chief Justice Susan Denham secured agreement on a new mediation system. read

An arbitration centre must speedily redress cases not just of the rich and the corporate houses but also the common man, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir says. read

There are times when nursing home neglect attorneys can successfully challenge an arbitration clause and allow a traditional lawsuit to be brought. read

The Czech Republic proposes to play the role of mediator in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict: "The Czech Republic understands that this conflict is the biggest problem for Azerbaijan. This is a complicated conflict, therefore, the status quo is inadmissible. It is high time to drive the process from the deadlock.” read

Police have dropped an assault charge against Australian fullback Kurtley Beale after he reached an agreement through mediation with his victim. read

St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour believes Scottish football needs a "mediator" to facilitate a way forward. read

The Oregon Senate on Tuesday approved an expansion of a state foreclosure mediation program that has seen little use as lenders route their foreclosures through the state's courtrooms. read

The International Mediation Institute (IMI), a body which develops global professional standards for those involved in collaborative dispute resolution, has recently published the results of an 8 week survey regarding the approaches and expectations of in-house counsel in relation to arbitration and mediation. read

A judge has ordered mediation in the case of a teen girl who says her family threatened to kill her for converting from Islam to Christianity. Rifqa Bary, 17, ran away from her family in Columbus, Ohio, in July. She claims her father threatened to kill her. read

A top U.S. securities regulator on Tuesday urged the government to consider adopting new rules that would prohibit or restrict brokerages and advisers from forcing customers to sign away their right to sue. read

Ladies and gentlemen, have you read the fine print lately? You may no longer have the right to go to court if something goes terribly wrong. read

The field of peacebuilding and conflict transformation is no stranger to jargon. A new term pushing its way into the lexicon is “infrastructures for peace” (“I4P” or “peace infrastructures”). read

Legal aid changes and ignorance of options is set to lead families into debt and create chaos for children. read

A Senate committee in Salem, Ore., hears arguments for SB 747, a bill that could keep officers fired for excessive force from coming back through arbitration read

To lessen the burden on the state's legal services, the University of Mumbai, along with the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority, will offer pre-litigation mediation services to citizens. The move aims to reduce the number of pending court cases. read

Retired judge will try to reconcile contract battle that threatens Illinois betting on Kentucky Derby. read

An en banc panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a dispute between former students and a bank that held their student loans was subject to arbitration. The ruling could have broad implications, including in employment disputes. read

Stryker Orthopaedics and some of the 133 people suing the company will attempt to settle claims related to the Mahwah company's recalled hip implants through mediation. read

Douglas Noll and Laurel Kaufer, professional Mediators, announce the expansion of Prison of Peace, providing communication, peacemaking and mediation skills to prison inmates. read

The cash-strapped Coalition announced on the 10th April they would be pumping £6.5million into projects aimed at helping separated parents "put their differences aside for the sake of their children". The announcement has put mediation in the spotlight as divorcees seek to minimise the impact of their split on their children. read

A bill extending the sunset date of farmer-lender mediation passed the House Thursday and is on its way to the Senate. The bill extends the sunset date for the farmer-lender mediation program from June 30, 2013, to June 30, 2017. No other language is changed. read

City leaders gathered Thursday, April 11th at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to highlight the new and improved process in place for homeowners facing foreclosure and seeking mediation services.

The New York State Department of Financial Services has hired the American Arbitration Association to host mediation sessions between insurance companies and storm victims -- and 841 Staten Islanders who still have open claims for damage to real or personal property qualify for the assistance. read

Across the United States, religious courts operate on a routine, everyday basis. The Roman Catholic Church alone has nearly 200 diocesan tribunals that handle a variety of cases, including an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 marriage annulments each year.1 In addition, many Orthodox Jews use rabbinical courts to obtain religious divorces, resolve business conflicts and settle other disputes with fellow Jews. Similarly, many Muslims appeal to Islamic clerics to resolve marital disputes and other disagreements with fellow Muslims. read

Recent reports by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth highlight Tennessee’s success as the best in the nation in reducing reliance on confinement as a response to juvenile crime, a press release said. read

Lorene Schaefer has seen employment discrimination from both sides—as a general counsel who handled bias complaints against her company, and then as a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit charging gender discrimination. read

It was almost standing room only at a hearing Wednesday for a proposed landfill just west of College Station. Brazos Valley Recycling wants to add a construction waste landfill to its property, but some nearby residents don't like the idea.

The Second Istanbul Conference on Mediation under the auspices of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will be held on April 11-12. read

To prevent the breakup of marriages and families, the Bangalore Mediation Centre (BMC) is setting up a pre-litigation mediation centre (PLMC), the first of its kind in the country. read

A judge has granted both TVA and those suing it over the 2008 Kingston coal ash spill an extra 120 days to mediate a settlement. read

Milwaukee County Board Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic on Thursday called for having a mediator help settle differences between the County Board and County Executive Chris Abele on reforming county government. read

Switzerland has offered to mediate with North Korea as tension rises on the Korean peninsula following U.N. sanctions imposed in response to a North Korean nuclear weapon test in February. read

Banks would be required to go through formal mediation with a homeowner before beginning a foreclosure under the terms of a bill pending in the N.C. Senate. read

Close to 50 community members rallied in support of Rose McGee as she faced off against Fannie Mae in settlement court alleging wrongful foreclosure. read

The Law regulates mediation in Turkish law for the first time. Article 1 of the Law stipulates that mediation shall be applied only in the resolution of private law conflicts, including those having a foreign element, arising from acts or transactions of interested parties who have the capacity to settle such conflicts. read

According to UN Women fewer than 3% of signatories to peace agreements are women and no woman has been appointed Chief or Lead peace mediators in UN-sponsored peace talks. It’s clear then that at peace table, where crucial decisions about post-conflict recovery and governance are made, women are conspicuously underrepresented. read

Until recently, it would have been fair to say that older people simply did not get divorced. Fewer than 10% of those who got divorced in 1990 were ages 50 or older. Today, 1 in 4 people getting divorced is in this age group. read

Follow these tips to have the best opportunity for settlement in IP cases read