history of the orange county m ediation c onference

In 1986, the California Legislature passed the Dispute Resolution Programs Act (DRPA) outlining the guidelines for the provision of alternative dispute resolution services in California.

In 1991, Orange County adopted the DRPA act and awarded the 1st dispute resolution contracts.

Contracted agencies included:• Community Service Programs, Inc.• Fair Housing Council of Orange County• Institute for Conflict Management• Orange County Human Relations Commission• The Mediation Center

DRPA contracts required the contracted agencies to educate the community about mediation in different ways including through events like an annual conference.

As a result, the agencies formed a working group and chose Mediation week in March as the appropriate time to hold the conference.

The first conferences were on the Chapman University campus.

In the early days, mediation work was done in the community and with the various law enforcement departments. The early speakers reflected those communities.

Early conference speakers included:• Mike Schumacher, Chief Probation Officer for Orange

County• Rusty Kennedy, Orange County Human Relations

Commission• Michael Niemeyer, Institute for Conflict Management

Over the years, other organizations joined in with the conference committee to expand the reach of the conference.

The conference moved into larger facilities and hotels.

Like many volunteer operations, the committee expanded and contracted, often having to hire outside conference planners.

In 1998, the conference provided a platform for change for mediation in Orange County.

Father Greg Boyle, gave a moving talk which raised the profile of mediation in the county by emphasizing the power of peacemaking processes in our communities.

Leaders in the community and then Presiding Judge Kathleen O’Leary worked together to introduce mediation into the Court.

The courts provided another opportunity for the role of the mediation conference to expand.

This expansion has included the participation of several bench officers at Mediation Week Conference events by:• Former Presiding Judge Kathleen O’Leary• Former Presiding Judge Nancy Wieben Stock• Former Presiding Judge Kim G. Dunning• Judge Jamoa Moberly, Former Chair - DRPA Mediation

Panel• Judge John Flynn, III, Chair - DRPA Mediation Panel• Judge Kirk Nakamura, Chair – Civil Mediation Panel

The OC Superior Court continues to provide strong support to the role mediation plays in our courts throughout county.

The conferences have had various formats:

• Full-day, half-day and single seminar programs

• Creating opportunities for people to learn about mediation, network with others and get involved in the work of mediation.

Participants have included:

• Professionals in mediation practice (private, governmental and non-profit), lawyers, business professionals, DRPA volunteers, mental health professionals, educators, law enforcement and public entity professionals, human resource personnel and students.

For 20 years, experts in the various fields of mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) have presented outstanding workshops and seminars at our conferences.

Workshops presented have covered a broad range of practices in mediation and ADR including:

• Legal advocacy, business, employment, community, family law, small claims, limited and unlimited civil, government, health, real estate, school and youth

• Specific mediation skills building theories and techniques

A Collaborative Training Program for Legal, Business, Community and Education Professionals• Keynote Speaker: Leigh Steinberg

This conference offered a concurrent Student (Youth) Mediation Conference

An Overview of Previous Mediation Conferences

Multi Cultural Mediation• Seminar Presenter: Jan Sunoo

Mediating DangerouslyKeynote Speaker:

Kenneth Cloke

Creating Peace in Our Communities Through Mediation (Cancelled)• Keynote Speaker: Arun Ghandi

The Committee became concerned that people would not feel comfortable coming together during war time and that Arun Gandhi might be a target and have difficulty traveling to attend the conference.

Narrative Mediation• Seminar Presenter: John Winslade

Global to Local Perspectives on Conflict Resolution Across CulturesKeynote Speaker: Stephen Thom

The Face of the OC Mediator• Keynote Speaker: Presiding Judge Nancy Wieben

Stock, OC Superior Court

Building Peace in Our CommunityKeynote Speaker: Woody Mosten

ADR in Orange County• Keynote Speaker: Kenneth Cloke

Luncheon Speaker: Ivan Stevenson

OC Mediation Odyssey 2010Keynote Speaker: Presiding Judge

Kim G. Dunning, OC Superior CourtLuncheon Speaker: Lee Jay Berman

Celebrating Mediation Week In the OC• Keynote Speaker: Carrie J. Menkel-Meadow

Achieving Excellence: A Generation of MediationKeynote Speaker: Doug Noll

The County of Orange has provided leadership and sponsorship support of the DRPA program administration from the formerly known Special Programs Division, now OCWIB.

Wonderful Conference host sponsors like: Chapman University, UCI and Coastline Community College

Multiple year partner organizations and previous sponsors like FMCS, OCDE, AAA, OC Bar-ADR, SCMA, etc.

Dedicated volunteer private and community mediators

THANK YOU FOR 20 YEARS!

The March 16, 2012 •Orange County Mediation Conference

•Committee Presents: •Achieving Excellence:

A Generation of Mediation

8:30- 9:00 Sign in, MCLE forms, Network, Breakfast9:00 – 9:30        Welcome, Overview of Day

Resolutions Board of Supervisors

Thank you to: Advisory Board Members

9:30 – 10:30       Keynote: Doug Knoll10:30 – 10:40      Break, snacks10:40 – 11:55      First Round

Breakout Workshops11:55 – 1:00        Lunch

Luncheon Speaker, Activity1:00 – 1:10         Break1:10 – 2:25          Second Round of Workshops2:25 – 2:35         Break, Snacks2:35 – 3:30  Third Round of Workshops3:30- 4:00       Closing wrap up

Morning Key Note Douglas Noll, Esq.

Judge John Flynn, III