The Florida Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) was established in 1986 by Supreme Court of Florida Chief Justice Joseph Boyd and FSU College of Law Dean Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte as the first statewide center for education, training and research in the field of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The DRC provides staff assistance to four Supreme Court of Florida mediation boards and committees; certifies mediators and mediation training programs; sponsors an annual conference for mediators and arbitrators; publishes a newsletter and an annual Compendium; provides basic and advanced county mediation training to volunteers; and assists the local court systems throughout Florida as needed. |
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The DRC is staffed by:
Sharon Press
Director
Kimberly Kosch
Court Operations Consultant
Earnestine Reshard
Senior Court Analyst II
Dawn Burlison
Administrative Assistant III
Elizabeth Roach
Administrative Assistant II
Sherry Waites
Administrative Assistant II
Cal Goodlett
Senior Attorney
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| The Supreme Court Committee on ADR Rules and Policy was created in 2003 as a successor joint committee of previously separate rules and policy committees. The committee provides the Supreme Court with recommendations relating to: all aspects of ADR policy and rules, legislation, model ADR practices, mediator certification and renewal requirements including continuing mediator education, and mediation training program standards and requirements. |
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| The Mediator Qualifications Board was appointed in 1992 as the grievance board under the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators. The Board is comprised of 51 members; 17 members each from the three regions of Florida. The members include judges, county mediators, family mediators, circuit mediators, dependency mediators and attorneys who meet in complaint committees when grievances are filed against mediators. |
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| The Mediator Ethics Advisory Committee was appointed in 1994. The nine member panel issues advisory ethics opinions for mediators. For the benefit of all mediators, the opinions are printed in the DRC's newsletter and are available on the Court's web page. |
Contact the DRC at:
Dispute Resolution Center
Supreme Court Building
500 S. Duval Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Phone: (850) 921-2910
Fax: (850) 922-9290
Email: DRCmail@flcourts.org |
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| The Mediation Training Review Board was appointed in 1997 to consider complaints against certified mediation training programs. The members include judges, and county, family, circuit and dependency mediators who meet in complaint committees and hearing panels when grievances are filed against certified mediation training programs. |
