Careers in Conflict Transformation and professional peaceworking: Mediation in the suites

 In the suites

A simple online look at current mediator positions[1] shows a real variety, from peer-to-peer in organizations, to court-ordered (Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR), to workplace, and much more.

The career paths are many, can be quite specialized, and are growing in many places in the world, e.g., a growth in mediator positions in alternative dispute resolution for thousands of citizen complaints of police conduct in both Australia and New Zealand (Riley, Prenzler & McKillop, 2020).

The roots of ADR go back to Mohandas Gandhi, an Indian educated in the law in England who opened his practice back in India, then in South Africa, and then back to India. As a lawyer he was trained in purely adversarial tactics and strategies, but that was not his nature, and eventually, going outside the practice of law as it was done then (and now) he called the contending parties to meet, and simply mediated a process that ended in agreement. Much later, in his autobiography, he wrote that, "At last I had learnt the true profession of the law." Based on his method--mediating opposing parties to a mutually agreeable outcome--the practice became known as Alternative Dispute Resolution and is still featured in some law schools as one of many courses taken to earn a law degree. Some law firms offer ADR at times. Other firms focus on ADR as a mediation service, often in lieu of lawyers. Indeed, a graduate student in the Portland State University Conflict Resolution program worked for such a firm and said, "We are all proud that no lawyers work here." 

Some ADR practitioners do so through the court system, as court-appointed mediators in various categories of cases, such as landlord-tenant eviction disputes, small claims, or domestic relations. Each state makes its own requirement rules. In Oregon[2], for example, the state says: 

To be a court-connected mediator in civil cases, small claims or landlord tenant eviction cases, the following requirements apply:

·       Basic mediation curriculum (30 hours)

·       Court system training or substantially similar training (6 hours)

·       Experience observing three actual mediations and participating as a mediator or a co-mediator in at least three court cases while being observed by a person qualified as a general civil mediation supervisor and performing to the supervisor's satisfaction.

Complete requirements to serve as a court-connected mediator can be found in UTCR 12.060. Please contact your local court for instructions on how to apply.

In Oregon, the requirements for domestic relations[3] court-appointed mediators are far more rigorous, starting with a minimum of:

BA in a behavioral science related to family relationships, child development, or conflict resolution and at least 7 years post BA experience in providing social work, mental health, or conflict resolution services to families.

The best advice, then, for a student interested in qualifying to be a domestic relations court-appointed mediator might be to major in a behavioral science degree with a Conflict Resolution or CT minor. 

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[1] https://www.indeed.com/q-certified-mediator-jobs.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&aceid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22925951201&gbraid=0AAAAADgc-H4mB_LAgpDvb1u8Qs6Rrw5tE&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsNPKBhCqARIsACm01fSgzSb3W_O_wvM9jfD4erZgBt_F2SxtNrUCZkJoGfzZqkiT492dRwUaAtkhEALw_wcB&vjk=94e7b80a5d70e7f5

[2] https://www.courts.oregon.gov/programs/adr/pages/mediatorapplication.aspx

[3] https://www.courts.oregon.gov/programs/ADR/Documents/MediatorQualificationsByType.pdf