Almost 40 years have passed since the first community mediation center opened in Virginia in 1982. Almost 30 years have elapsed since the passage of Virginia’s mediation statutes in 1992. Today mediation and other forms of non-adversarial dispute resolution are practiced in Virginia in many places and by many people. Are these practices adequately serving the needs of Virginians? Are they making individuals, families, workplaces and communities more productive and peaceful? Are they meeting emerging needs? Are they coordinated so as to be maximally efficient?
An ad-hoc group of stakeholders from various dispute resolution sectors across the Commonwealth has been working over the past year to design a summit that will bring together service providers, consumers, and potential clients to strategically plan the future of dispute resolution in Virginia. Some of these dispute resolution sectors and stakeholders include the Virginia Mediation Network, the Joint Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Virginia State Bar and The Virginia Bar Association, and Resolution Virginia.
Through the provision of panelist data, other concrete information and thoughtful reflection on building future practices we plan to
- identify current and emerging dispute resolution practices in Virginia,
- align dispute resolution practices with current and emerging needs; and
- enable stakeholder collaboration to meet dispute resolution needs more adequately.
In order for the summit to meet its goals, the participation of a large group of stakeholders interested in charting the future of dispute resolution is desired. It is the intention of the planning group to cast a wide net that includes practitioners, consumers, potential clients and educators as well as legislators, members of the judiciary and representatives of local and state government. We hope that you will participate!
More information is here.
David J. Smith Consulting, LLC 