The Mediation Clinic is designed to enable students who have completed the Mediation course, or an equivalent course, to use and develop their skills as mediators through frequent and regular practice with actual parties under the supervision of experienced mediators. Through the Mediation Clinic, students have the opportunity to work with real litigants who have filed small claims, civil harassment, guardianship/probate, and unlawful detainer (eviction) cases.
Students gain exposure to-, and experience dealing with a variety of conflict types across several areas of the law, including: Neighbor/Neighbor, Landlord/Tenant, Consumer/Merchant, Business/Business, Family/Domestic, Personal Injury and Employment/Workplace disputes. Students also interact with practicing attorneys, judges, and other court officers. The Mediation Clinic requires students to serve as mediators in court and to attend class each Monday morning.
"The clinic provided great insight on what working with clients will be like, as you
meet many different personalities who are very heated and stuck in their positions.
We handled small claims, guardianship, probate, and civil harassment cases, so there’s
never a dull moment. And, you can choose which areas to mediate! I learned how to
see through the facts of each case and question parties based on their own words,
thus helping them see the other side’s perspective. This isn’t something you learn
in class, but through practice."
"The clinic was a great opportunity to work with real clients and handle cases in
their entirety. Compared to other classes where most of the lessons are theoretical
and only relevant to that specialty of the law, the experience of helping parties
settle their cases through narrative fact-finding and negotiating dramatically improved
my confidence in handling cases. The clinic became a great talking point during interviews
and seemed to always leave a memorable impression with potential employers. It was
undoubtedly one of my favorite experiences during law school."
"The Mediation Clinic gave me the opportunity to mediate with people of diverse backgrounds
with diverse legal issues directly affecting their personal lives. Along with honing
my communication and negotiation skills as a result of mediating between adverse parties
and programming with youth offenders, participating in the Clinic also added empathetic
communication to my arsenal of legal skills. Without empathy, there can be no meaningful
connection with our clients, and without meaningful connection there can be no real
trust and understanding."
"The Mediation Clinic provides an unmatched practical experience. Every week, I mediate
multiple actual cases with real parties. I have become comfortable in the court setting,
and confidently participate in the court's procedures. I now have a greater experience
in communicating with clients, lawyers and judges"