Building and Maintaining a Statewide Mediation Program: A View from the Field

Written in 1992, this article attempts to provide guidance to states seeking to improve the judicial system through increased use of alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”) mechanisms. The format most often selected is the establishment of statewide mediation offices. Part I of this article identifies the issues that should be addressed by any group wishing to establish a statewide court-connected mediation program. Part II presents an analysis of Florida’s experience in establishing a statewide court mediation program as an example of how these issues were resolved in practice by a state that has implemented a court-connected mediation program. This article concludes with a section that encourages the adoption and development of court-connection mediation programs throughout the country