Teaching the Next Generation of Mediators

Students at the University of Florida Levin College of Law had the opportunity to attend a Florida Supreme Court certified county mediation training that could lead to their eventual certification as mediators. The training was presented by Professor Donna Erez-Navot with the assistance of OSCA Senior Court Operations Consultant Kimberly Kosch.

OSCA Senior Court Operations Consultant Kimberly Kosch (center left) and Professor Donna Erez-Navot (center right) pose with students from the University of Florida Levin College of Law who participated in a recent Florida Supreme Court certified county mediation training.

Mediation is one form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), which has been utilized to resolve disputes in Florida for more than 30 years. ADR processes offer litigants court-connected opportunities to resolve their disputes without judicial intervention. In Florida, this has resulted in one of the most comprehensive court-connected mediation programs in the country. The Supreme Court of Florida, through the Florida Dispute Resolution Center (DRC), offers certification for mediators in the areas of county court, family, circuit court, dependency, and appellate cases.

Attending a certified county mediation training is the first step toward becoming a certified mediator. For the UF students, they will have the remainder of the semester to observe mediations, mediate (under supervision) actual county court cases, and complete additional requirements to earn their mediator certifications.

Partnerships like this among OSCA, trial court mediation programs, and universities exemplify one of the goals of the Long-Range Strategic Plan for the Florida Judicial Branch, “to collaborate with justice system partners and community organizations to deliver appropriate services.”

Learn more about mediation and the Florida Dispute Resolution Center on the Florida Courts website. http://www.flcourts.gov/drc