October 21, 2010
STATE BAR ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES ‘MEDIATION
SETTLEMENT DAY’
Seeking to raise awareness about the many benefits of mediation as a
forum for resolving disputes, members of the New York State Bar
Association’s Dispute Resolution Section and its Committee on
Mediation is commemorating ‘Mediation Settlement Day’ in New
York. ‘Mediation Settlement Day’ is an annual event held on
October 21st in New York designed to promote the use of mediation and to
educate potential parties and attorneys about the mediation process.
Mediation is an increasingly popular and highly-effective tool being
used in dispute resolution. It is a cost-saving, efficient approach in
which a trained, impartial mediator helps parties negotiate and reach a
settlement. The process is unique because rather than having one side
“win” and another side “lose,” the mediator
assists the parties with reaching a resolution that is acceptable to
all. Once an agreement is reached, the parties usually conclude the
mediation process by voluntarily signing a binding settlement
agreement.
“The use of mediation as an alternative method to resolve
disputes is an important resource that can benefit both attorneys and
the public,” said State Bar Association President Stephen P.
Younger of New York (Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP).
“Mediation Settlement Day is a great opportunity to highlight
these benefits, which include reducing the costs of disputes for
individuals and businesses and lessening the case burden already placed
on New York’s courts. I commend State Bar members for their
efforts to educate citizens and to promote the future use of mediation
to settle disputes.”
Younger also congratulated State Bar Dispute Resolution Section
member Margaret L. Shaw, Esq. (JAMS Arbitration) recipient of the 2010
Frontline Champion Award honoring her leadership and expertise in the
field of mediation.
In recognition of ‘Mediation Settlement Day,’ the State
Bar’s Dispute Resolution Section also will be presenting an
upcoming joint CLE program with the State Bar’s Elder Law Section
at its fall meeting, scheduled for October 28 at the Renaissance
Westchester Hotel in White Plains. Panel sessions at the joint CLE
program include: mediation of estate issues, the development of the use
of mediation in Surrogate’s Court, and tips for building a
successful mediation practice. For more information and to view the
joint CLE program brochure, please visit www.nysba.org/October28MediationProgram.
The State Bar Association and its Dispute Resolution Section also
have been strong supporters of a proposed state-level Uniform Mediation
Act that would standardize the mediation process and protect the
confidentiality of the parties involved. Supporters of the Uniform
Mediation Act argue that its adoption would greatly increase the use of
mediation to resolve disagreements between parties.
####
The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the official
statewide organization of lawyers in New York and the largest voluntary
state bar association in the nation. Founded in 1876, State Bar programs
and activities have continuously served the public and improved the
justice system for more than 130 years. For more information, please
visit www.nysba.org.
| 