Mediation Course
The Program on Law and State Government will be sponsoring the course entitled "Public Policy Mediation within State Government" for the Spring Semester, January 5-9, 2009. This two (2) credit course will offer law students mediation training, instruction on substantive aspects of public policy mediation in the state government setting, and the opportunity to participate in the mediation process with an experienced mediator.
The course is open to non-students as well. It will be of particular interest to practicing attorneys, municipal and state lawyers, judges and professionals in all public policy fields. Attorneys receive 24.0 CLE credits in addition to the 40-hour Civil Mediation training certification.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
The educational objectives of the state government mediation course include offering law students the opportunity to:
- Receive 40 hours of basic civil mediation training that will qualify law students to become registered civil mediators under Ind. A.D.R. Rule 2.5. Approval has been granted by the Indiana Commission on Continuing Legal Education qualifying the 40-hour training for Supreme Court certification.
- Gain valuable mediation experience by participating in the mediation process under the supervision and guidance of sponsoring mediators, state agencies, and offices.
- Learn about aspects of state government law and policy as they relate to mediation.
STRUCTURE OF COURSE
To reach the educational objectives, the state government mediation course is structured as follows:
- A 40-hour basic civil mediation training. This training will be conducted one week before the regular semester begins. Students who successfully complete the course will be able to qualify as registered civil mediators under Ind. A.D.R. Rule 2.5.
- Each law student will be matched with a sponsoring mediator, office, or agency and be required to devote at least ten (10) hours working with their sponsor on one or more mediations throughout the course of the semester. The students' time will be spent preparing for the mediation (e.g., learning the procedural posture and the substantive law involved in the dispute to be mediated, providing assistance to the primary mediator to the case, providing assistance to the state agency or office mediating the case), participating in the mediation, and, if appropriate, following up with the parties about the relative success or failure of the mediation.
- Four class meetings, scheduled during the regular semester, concentrating on continued mediation training and the exploration of substantive aspects of state government law and policy as they relate to mediation in state government. The Course Director will serve as the students' advisor throughout the semester. (E.g., conduct the class meetings, coordinate individual mediation experiences with sponsoring mediators, agencies, or offices, coordinate continued mediation training, gather feedback from the students on their mediation experiences, and, ultimately, assign a passing or failing grade to each law student.)
SELECTION OF STUDENTS
Law students will register for the Public Policy Mediation within
State Government course during registration. Priority will be given
to third year law students. As described further below, the mediation
skills course will be interdisciplinary.
In addition to the law students, the class will contain state
government lawyers and policy makers. The registration of state
government personnel will also be by application. Attorneys receive
24 CLE course in addition to the 40-hour Civil Mediation training
certification. For information, please contact:
Sylvia Regalado, Faculty Assistant
Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis
Telephone 317-274-1914, Fax 317-278-4785 or e-mail seregala@iupui.edu
COMMENTS ABOUT THE COURSE:
COURSE ADVISOR, MEDIATION TRAINERS, AND EXPERTS
Due to the unique nature of the course structure, specifically,
a combination of mediation training, substantive law instruction,
and experiential learning, the course will be taught by a team of
mediation experts and educators.
The primary mediation trainer will be John Krauss, Course Director,
an experienced mediator and educator who is qualified to conduct
basic mediation training under the Indiana Supreme Court Rules.
Additional trainers and qualified experts will assist in teaching
the 40-hour course with respect to lawyers and litigation, public
policy mediation, mediation in the state government setting, areas
of substantive law, and interpersonal communication skills and dynamics.
EVALUATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE
The course will be offered as a two (2) credit pass/fail course. Final evaluation of each student's performance will be made by the Course Director working in conjunction with the sponsoring mediator, agency or office with which the student works during the course of the semester. The assessment will be based on the students' successful completion of the 40 hour training, the students' learning as reflected in class meetings, and required presentations and/or papers about the students' respective training and experiences with mediation in state government.
