Mediation Clinic

Since 1991, the clinic has provided free and confidential mediation services. We mediate for the general public and staff, students and faculty at the University of Washington. Students serve as neutral third parties to help individuals involved in a dispute negotiate a voluntary settlement of their case or conflict.

Cases include civil matters such as landlord-tenant, contract, employment, claims of discrimination and consumer-merchant disputes, and interpersonal disputes such as roommate or co-worker conflicts. The Mediation Clinic also works with government agencies and non-profits to provide free mediation services. These include the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, the Dispute Resolution Center of King County and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Mediation Training

Professors Julia Gold and Alan Kirtley lead the 36-hour Professional Mediation Skills Training offered at the law school. Attended by 30 professionals and 18 students, the training is offered twice yearly, in October and January. The next training will be held October 9-11 and 24-25, 2009, and the following training will be held January 15-17 and 30-31, 2010.
October Brochure   |   January Brochure

Mediation Clinic News

• U.W. Clinic Has Touch of Gold- King County Bar Bulletin
  A profile of Julia Gold, Mediation Clinic Director. As the clinic has grown in breadth, it also has become better established in the community. This year, the clinic has seen a settlement rate of more than 80%. And while Gold cautions that the historic settlement rate is no testament to success or failure, she agrees that it indicates something about the student participants’ skills as mediators.
• Shellan Bequest to Support Mediation Programs
  Gerard M. Shellan, who recently retired after a long career on King County Superior Court, strongly believes that mediation is a critical component of the judicial system and that students need a solid foundation in the practice and principles of dispute resolution. To this end, he recently included a $250,000 bequest and a gift of real estate property in his estate plan to support arbitration and mediation education at the UW School of Law. This newest gift is in addition to the $200,000 charitable remainder unitrust he funded in 1993 to benefit the law school. For Julia Gold, director of the Mediation Clinic, this stable funding will allow the clinic to provide services to more people in the community while giving law students important hands on experience with clients.
• Got a complaint? Help is available in several places - University Week
  One option for UW employees with workplace issues is the Mediation Clinic, which uses third year law students supervised by Law School faculty. "We regard ourselves as a neutral third party," Gold said.
• ABA Section of Dispute Resolution 10th Annual Spring Conference
  Julia Gold and Alan Kirtley will be featured speakers at the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution 10th Annual Spring Conference, Pacific Currents: Sound Perspectives on ADR scheduled for April 3-5, 2008 at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers. The program, titled ”Ethical Duties of Lawyers and Mediators in Mediation: Guidance from the Model Rules” will be presented on Friday, April 4, 2008.  The conference is the world’s largest dispute resolution conference, with over 1200 attendees from all over the world.Professor Gold will also be coordinating the law school nationals for the Representation in Mediation Competition, which is held in conjunction with the ABA Annual Spring Dispute Resolution conference.
• Vis International Arbitration Moot
  Professor Gold, along with Professor Dongsheng Zang and renowned international arbitrator David Wagoner, coached the law school’s team competing in this year’s Vis Moot in Vienna.  The team travelled to Vienna in late March.