Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution

Malibu Campus

Extended Format: May 25-July 27, 2011

Wednesdays: 5:00-7:30 p.m.

Mediation Clinic

Pre-requisite: LAW 1422 Mediation Theory and Practice

This practicum offers students the opportunity to actually apply mediation theory in context and to enhance their mediation skills by serving as the mediator in numerous small-claims court cases and other referred disputes. Students share the specifics of their mediation experiences in class and receive feedback on their strategic and tactical choices, as well as on their tone and demeanor. This critical review is designed to cultivate and refine advanced mediation skills. Students must be available to mediate six hours per week during normal business hours.

Alexander H. Williams III served as a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court from 1984 to 2008. He presided for 8 years in a felony criminal trial department and for another 13 years in a general jurisdiction civil trial department, handling thousands of cases and conducting hundreds of court and jury trials. A trained mediator, he spent his final three years presiding over a full-time settlement court, where he daily conducted settlement conferences and settled hundreds of cases. Williams was the chair of the Judicial Education Subcommittee of the Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. Before taking the bench, he served as a police officer, Navy judge advocate, and federal prosecutor.