In 2021, alternative ways of conducting mediation continued to emerge to address the changing circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 global pandemic, including the shift to remote ADR, and in many cases, hybrid remote and in-person ADR services and programs. The District Court ADR Office fully pivoted its day-of-trial ADR programs to provide pre-trial remote mediation on Zoom for Government and began preparation for resumption of in-person ADR services. The Court of Special Appeals’ ADR Division continued to conduct mediations using methods and procedures developed and adopted during the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Most of the mediations from October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021, were conducted remotely.
As emerging technology
and the need for remote mediation accelerated, so did the need for additional training. In response to the increased need, the ADR Committee staff, in partnership with additional Maryland Judiciary ADR office staff, presented trainings and workshops on topics such as mediator ethics, adult guardianship mediation, and the role of the new parenting
“Researching alternatives and finding solutions is what this committee does best,” said Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee Chair and District Court in Harford County Judge Mimi Cooper. “During these challenging times, we accepted the opportunity of finding new ways of conducting mediation through the use of remote technology. Many of these adjustments proved to be valuable logistically and for practical purposes.”
plan rule and tool in mediation. A dedicated section of the MACRO web page for online mediation resources, including recordings of the Navigating ADR Online webinars. The District Court ADR Office conducted training and follow-up assessment sessions for ADR practitioners to assure that they were competent to conduct high- quality ADR processes on the remote platform, hosting 18 pre-trial remote ADR program orientations and 77 practice sessions in 2021. The office also fielded 1,906
14
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs