Abstract
Law school mediation clinics are proliferating at a rapid rate around the country. A 1995 directory of ADR clinics indicates that 34 law schools now offer mediation (or mediation and arbitration) clinics and that an additional 13 schools have plans to start one. Although a few clinics date back to the mid-1980's or earlier, most are of much more recent vintage. Mediation also has been the subject of two recent clinical legal education conferences. Something seems to be happening here. What is it? In this article, and one to follow, I try to present a balanced view of the distinctive characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of mediation clinics. This first article focuses on skills, supervision and critique. What kinds of skills does a mediation clinic teach? How effective a forum is a mediation clinic for skills training? What kinds of unique challenges does a mediation clinic present in supervision and critique? A future article will address questions of ethics, values and perspectives. What professional and ethical values are inculcated in a mediation setting? What kinds of students are likely to be attracted to a mediation clinic and how are their perspectives on law and legal institutions likely to be affected by the experience? What are the implications of the growth of mediation clinics for the clinical legal education movement and for law schools?
Publication Title
Clinical Law Review
Volume
2
Issue
2
First Page
457
Recommended Citation
James H. Stark,
Preliminary Reflections on the Establishment of a Mediation Clinic,
2
Clinical L. Rev
457
(1996).
Available at:
https://gretchen.law.nyu.edu/clr/vol2/iss2/6