Northeastern State University

Early Settlement Mediation Program is recruiting new        Volunteers in your area!

Early Settlement Mediation is a program that is funded by the Administrative Office of the Courts of Oklahoma. The East Program is sponsored by Northeastern State University, in Tahlequah, OK. The program provides convenient access to dispute resolution proceedings which are fair, effective and inexpensive by utilizing volunteer mediators. The volunteer mediators’ help individuals explore solutions and reach mutually satisfactory agreements to disputes outside of the courtroom at little to no cost. 

           Unlike a court hearing in mediation the individual parties decide the outcome of their case as compared to the adversarial court process, where a decision is imposed on the parties by a judge or jury.  If they are unable to reach a mutual agreement in mediation, they then have the opportunity for the Court to rule in their case. When parties settle in mediation they have an active role in making the decisions that will significantly affect their lives. Parties are more likely to stick to an agreement that they make themselves instead of the court system deciding for them.  Mediating for the court offers a unique and challenging means of community service that benefits both the court system and the citizens within the local region!

The Early Settlement Mediation East Program offers a basic mediation course free of cost. The training serves as the first step in certifying new volunteer mediators to conduct mediation sessions under the authority of the Oklahoma Dispute Resolution Act of 1983. The training and volunteer experience provides a wonderful opportunity for personal growth and satisfaction. The training is designed to develop communication skills and techniques that will enable mediators to assist disputing parties in finding creative and workable solutions to conflict. The knowledge and skills acquired in the basic mediation course are valuable tools, which an individual may also use for conflicts, which arise in the day-to-day work, school, and family environment. Once certified, volunteer mediators represent The Early Settlement East program through the Supreme Court of Oklahoma.

Seating for basic training is limited, so individuals interested in applying may obtain an application by contacting Randy Hoerschgen, East Program Director, at (918) 444-3008 or email at ADR-mediation@nsuok.edu. Additional program information can be found at http://www.oscn.net/static/adr/default.aspx