Office of the Attorney General: Free Mediation Training Offered for Court Volunteers

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

July 28, 2008

(Phoenix, Ariz. – July 28, 2008) The Attorney General's Office Civil Rights Division, in partnership with the Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Court, is offering 40-hour mediation courses free of charge throughout the state to train volunteers to help resolve local court disputes.

Mediators are neutral parties who try to help disputing parties reach agreements in various cases. It is a valuable alternative to litigation and can save time, money and alleviate stress. Mediation also reduces the courts' heavy caseloads.

Training courses are open to the public. In exchange for the free training, those who successfully complete the course must agree to mediate a certain number of disputes for the court on a volunteer basis. Each court has its own requirements and application procedures to become a volunteer mediator. Disputes to be mediated can include small claims, commercial, truancy and other types of cases. The Attorney General's Office has been training mediators for the courts since 1984 and has its own volunteer mediation program for resolving civil rights cases.

The 40-hour mediation training will be offered at the following locations on the dates listed: ? Kingman, Mohave County: September 10, 11,12, 15, 16, 2008 ? Phoenix, Maricopa County: October 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 2008

Training sessions will run each day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and include a working lunch. Participants must complete all five days of a single scheduled training to become eligible to mediate for the courts. Please note that most courts require volunteers to successfully complete an application process that includes a criminal background check.

If you are interested in registering for one of these training sessions or have any questions, please contact Garrett Hoover at (602) 542-7767. He is Conflict Resolution Program Coordinator in the Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General's Office. Space is limited and advance registration is required.