Loyola Law School’s Center For Conflict Resolution Celebrates 10 Years Serving the Community LOS ANGELES — Helping more than 17,000 Los-Angeles-area residents resolve sometimes difficult issues is no small task. “We are busy helping our community avoid costly legal battles year round,” says Marta Gallegos, Associate Director for the law school’s public interest center. After 10 years of service to the community, the Center has saved Los Angeles residents hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation fees, and has assisted thousands of people in finding solutions to everyday problems. The Center is located conveniently in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Phone help is available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays at 213-736-1145. As part of Loyola Law School’s commitment to public interest law, the school’s on-campus Center For Conflict Resolution provides critically needed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services to low-income and Spanish-speaking residents of Los Angeles. The Center’s mission is to expand the availability of problem-solving alternatives to costly litigation to the low-income community and to train lawyers to understand the benefits of alternative dispute resolution. The Center recently expanded its services to include a court mediation project. Professional mediators co-mediate with Loyola Law School students. These services are free of charge or at a sliding-scale cost to those who can afford to pay. The Center is staffed with both English- and Spanish-speaking mediators and conciliators who are experienced in helping people resolve any dispute. The staff includes both attorneys and law-students that have completed a rigorous training program. Local residents are encouraged to call with their issues, whether it is a landlord-tenant dispute, family conflict, consumer problem, employment dispute – or any other type of conflict. The Court also routinely refers cases to the Center each month. The Center provides mediation, conciliation and facilitation services to hundreds of satisfied clients daily. Mediation is a process where the parties work together toward a resolution that tries to meet every party’s interests. The parties to the conflict voluntarily meet face to face and with the help of a neutral mediator, try to resolve their conflict by talking directly to each other. The mediator does not decide how the dispute is to be resolved; the parties do. Any conflict might be resolved in this way if the parties are willing to try. The Center also provides convenient conciliation. This type of conflict resolution involves a neutral conciliator who helps the parties resolve their conflict by talking to the parties separately, often on the telephone. Facilitation is not a kind of conflict resolution but rather a way to avoid potential conflicts. Neutral Center facilitators are available to attend meetings to help parties talk to each other in ways to try to avoid conflicts. The Center regularly conducts trainings in Mediation, Conciliation and Facilitation skills on site or at the law school. The Center has to date assisted in training more than 250 community groups to demonstrate how their programs can benefit from using ADR problem-solving techniques. Those groups include: The A.C.L.U; Alcohol and Drug Council of Greater L.A.; Angel’s Flight; The Archdiocese of L.A.’s Justice and Peace Commission, Office for Vocations, Office of Justice and Peace; Asian Pacific American Legal Center; Bet Tzedek Legal Services; Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law; Central Juvenile; Community Youth Gang Services; Department of Child and Family Services; Equal Employment Opportunities Commission; Family Service Of L.A; L.A. Boys and Girls Club; L.A. City Board of Education; L.A. City Housing Authority; L.A. County Bar Association – DRS; L.A. Superior Court-A.D.R. Services; L.A. Unified School District (LAUSD); L.A.P.D. Newton Division; Mattel Learning Center; Planned Parenthood L.A.; Salvation Army; San Fernando Valley Girl Scout Council; Santa Monica AIDS Project; YMCA; and countless others. The Center provides a 30-hour mediation training to the community during the month of June. Requests for individual training also may be directed to the Center, at 213-736-1145. Staff: Mediators: |