CBA Nov.-Dec. 2020

Members Invited to Apply to New CBA Mediation Service By Judge Thomas R. Mulroy W hat is the litigant to do: the civil justice system is too slow, too expensive and too uncertain; lowing procedures: 1. Parties must be represented by counsel. A roster of CBA mediators from that roster the parties will agree to a media- tor.

mediators and provide it to parties request- ing a mediator and will make it publicly available on the CBA Mediation Service website. Because parties and their counsel will expect expertise from their prospective mediators, applicants must have been in the active practice of law for 15 years, be an attorney in good standing and have taken an intensive mediation training program. Each CBA member who applies to this program must submit an application which will detail training and experience as a neutral as well as a resume with the applicant’s professional background and experience. The CBA will use these forms to compile a roster of qualified mediators which will be publicly available and given to parties seeking a mediator. Applicants also may submit a short video detailing the applicants’ experience and philosophy of mediation, which will be given to any requesting party. The hourly charge for a mediator is $400. Of that amount, $50 per hour will go to the CBA for program administration and $350 to the mediator. There will be a minimum fee of $1,200 for each mediation (three hours) which will be payable to the CBA before the mediation begins. If the mediation goes longer than three hours the parties must pay the additional hourly fee within seven days of the conclusion of the mediation. The mediator will not be paid until the parties have paid the CBA. How the ServiceWorks Specifically, the Service will have the fol-

many cannot afford to use it. Non-lawyers and businesses cannot fathom the delay in resolving their cases in the 21st century and desperately seek alternative dispute resolution programs which are more efficient and more affordable than the justice system. The CBA has developed a platform (chicagobarmediation.org) for its members which will help lawyers with clients who want a more efficient, less expensive dispute resolution system and which will give our members the opportunity to mediate cases at an hourly rate of $400. Goals of the Service The CBA Mediation Service is designed to provide mediations which are efficient, effective, economical, and fair. The par- ties, who must be represented by counsel, can expect an excellent chance of resolu- tion while negotiating in a safe place with an experienced mediator. The Service is structured to meet the mediation needs of a variety of clients in a variety of cases such as: personal injury, family law, commercial, subrogation, and real estate. It will help parties resolve their disputes before or after a court filing. How to Apply CBA members who wish to act as media- tors should submit their applications and resumes. The CBA will prepare a roster of

2. The program administrator will then inform the mediator that the parties have requested him or her and will ensure that the mediator is available. 3. Once the mediator has agreed to take the case and has made certain that there are no conflicts of interest or other impedi- ment to conducting the mediation, the mediator will notify the program admin- istrator and the parties by e-mail and a date for the mediation will be set by agreement of the parties and mediator. Conclusion This mediation platform provides litigants with another option for alternative dispute resolution which is focused on efficiency and cost effectiveness and provides our members with the opportunity to help settle cases in a timely manner. To learn more visit www.chicagobarmediation.org or call (312) 554-2040.

JudgeThomas R. Mulroy serves in the Law Divi- sion of the Circuit Court of Cook County and is a past president of the CBA.

Medusa Revisited: Turning the Ugly Head of Gender Discrimination in the Legal Workplace

In the December 7 installment of the CBA’s “Advancing Equity for Women in the Law Series” Professor Kimberly Norwood, a Henry H. Oberschelp Professor of Law atWashington University School of Law in St. Louis, will present her leading-edge researchongender bias. Learnmore and register at learn.chicagbar.org.

10 November/December 2020