Trial Court Consultation

Since 1987, MODR has been assisting the Massachusetts Trial Court to design, implement, and administer a variety of court-connected dispute resolution programs and to train court personnel about dispute resolution processes and procedures. The purpose of this collaboration is to make dispute resolution services available to the court and to ensure the integrity, impartiality, and quality of those services.

Examples of MODR's Work:

Administrative Office of the Trial Court (AOTC)— Since 2004, MODR has served as a systems design consultant and trainer to the AOTC. These services have also benefited court-connected dispute resolution programs. In 2004, MODR designed an 8-hour conciliator training curriculum to qualify conciliators under the Uniform Rules on Dispute Resolution, created a Trainer's Manual and taught a Train-the-Trainers workshop on this training for court-approved programs. In 2005, MODR conducted a training for conciliators in the Superior Court.

In 2005, MODR conducted a stakeholder assessment to gather input for the AOTC on issues regarding implementation of court-connected ADR and designed and delivered an ADR Conference for court program staff. In 2006, MODR provided research and consultation services to the Trial Court Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution and the Coalition of Community Mediation Programs on funding strategies, facilitated working groups comprised of court and program personnel and compiled a report of working group consensus recommendations of strategies to enable effective implementation of ADR in the courts.

In 2006 MODR designed and delivered a Court ADR Conference for court personnel designated as ADR Coordinators and approved ADR Programs in the Trial Court. The purpose of this conference was to build awareness and understanding of ADR resources to support the court's case management and time standards initiatives. In 2007, MODR continues to provide dispute systems design, facilitation and training services in support of ADR in the Trial Court with a focus on building support and resources for sustainable, high quality programs.

Supreme Judicial Court (SJC)— Through its membership on the SJC Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution from 1993 through 2004, MODR helped to develop and implement the Uniform Rules on Dispute Resolution, system-wide standards governing dispute resolution services in the Trial Court, which set forth a structure for approving court-connected ADR programs and qualifying court-connected ADR neutrals.

Trial Court Departments— For many years (1987-2002) MODR operated successful ADR programs in the Suffolk, Norfolk and Plymouth Superior Courts and the Land Court. MODR also consulted on the design and implementation of mediation and case conference programs in the Boston Municipal Court and on permanency mediation programs in the Juvenile Court and Probate & Family Court. Recently, MODR conducted trainings and workshops for Superior Court conciliators in Worcester and Middlesex and Probate Court conciliators in Essex County.

Trial Court Assistance contact:

Mette Kreutzmann, Practice Research Administrator
MODR at UMass Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard, M-1-627
Boston, MA 02125
Telephone: (617) 287-4041; Fax: (617) 287-4049
mette.kreutzmann@umb.edu