Trial court, bar association launch free mediation services in this state
The Massachusetts Trial Court and the Massachusetts Bar Association have teamed up to expand access to mediation in one of their state’s busiest trial courts. (Image from Shutterstock)
The Massachusetts Trial Court and the Massachusetts Bar Association have teamed up to expand access to mediation in one of their state’s busiest trial courts.
On Aug. 3, the MBA Volunteer Mediation Pilot Program began providing free mediation services in certain cases in the Suffolk County Superior Court in Massachusetts, where at least one party is unable to pay for a private mediator. Motor vehicle tort cases, slip-and-fall tort cases and certain contract cases could be eligible for mediation under the program.
“The trial court is committed to expanding access to justice through innovative partnerships,” Massachusetts Trial Court Chief Justice Heidi E. Brieger said when announcing the program. “We are grateful to the MBA and its volunteer mediators for helping make mediation available to litigants who otherwise might not have access to this valuable resource.”
The Suffolk County Superior Court’s administrative office is administering the initiative, while the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section council is leading efforts to engage volunteer mediators. Volunteers must complete at least 30 hours of mediation training, maintain professional liability insurance covering mediation services, and have at least five years of civil litigation and personal injury experience.
Hat tip to Law.com.
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