Resolutions

Attorney General Uses Law Day to Promote ADR

May 1, 1998

In celebration of Law Day, Attorney General Janet Reno has kicked off a comprehensive campaign to promote the use of ADR and conflict resolution. The Attorney General has written letters to all of the nation's governors and state attorneys general, encouraging them to use the annual Law Day celebrations in their states as an opportunity to speak out about dispute resolution programs in courts, schools and communities. She said:

I believe we have an obligation to those we represent and to society as a whole to serve as peacemakers and problem solvers. It is our job to help resolve disputes in ways that promote civility, preserve relationships, and minimize the burdens on our court systems. Many dispute resolution programs serve these purposes admirably.

In addition, Reno also asked all ninety three United States Attorneys, as well as her senior Department managers in Washington, to participate in an appropriate Law Day observation. She suggested that they identify and promote successful dispute resolution activities in their areas.

Finally, the Attorney General has made a ten-minute video tape message suitable for presentation to bar groups on the benefits of using dispute resolution in a variety of settings. Bar associations can obtain a copy of this tape from the Senior Counsel for ADR at the Department of Justice by calling (202) 616- 9473.

Letter From The Attorney General to all of the Nation's Governors and State Attorneys General

Dear Governor

By Presidential Proclamation, every May 1 is designated as Law Day, an opportunity to celebrate and reflect upon the role of law in our society. This year, I will be spending all of my time on Law Day advancing the cause of dispute resolution programs. I am writing to ask that you participate in this effort, by speaking out on this important day about dispute resolution programs. I have extended a similar request to your fellow governors, the state attorneys general, our United States Attorneys, state bar associations and other influential, interested parties.

I believe we have an obligation to those we represent and to society as a whole to serve as peacemakers and problem solvers. It is our job to help resolve disputes in ways that promote civility, preserve relationships, and minimize the burdens on our court systems. Many dispute resolution programs serve these goals admirably.

Dispute resolution programs take many forms: mediation, neutral evaluation, arbitration, and other processes help parties to settle civil litigation; schools use conflict resolution programs to reduce youth violence; conflict prevention techniques, practiced as part of community policing, generate greater respect for law enforcement officers.

The attached material, prepared for my use, summarizes the Department of Justice's commitment to dispute resolution programs rams and describes the benefits that can flow from such a commitment. I ask that you review this material, supplement it with information about dispute resolution programs in your own state, and take this opportunity to educate your constituents about the advantages of these programs.

Because these and similar programs can make our communities more civil, less violent, and more focused on problem-solving than fault-finding, they can have a transforming effect upon our society. Especially on Law Day, our support of these programs is crucial. If together we send a unified message, we will be heard and we will make a difference.

Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.

Department Of Justice Conflict Resolution Fact Sheet

Conflict resolution techniques and appropriate dispute resolution (ADR) forums encourage people to resolve disputes in mutually acceptable and peaceful ways. Increasingly, these techniques are being used in a number of areas that impact on litigation and work in partnership with schools, law enforcement and communities throughout the country.

The Department of Justice is involved in a range of efforts to use and encourage the use of conflict resolution. Following are a few examples:

Litigation

  • Since 1995, the Department has quadrupled the number of cases annually where some form of ADR has been used by our attorneys. In Fiscal Year 1997, some form of ADR was used in 1,579 cases. The Department uses third-party neutrals to settle all types of litigation ranging from tort claims and environmental disputes to civil rights enforcement matters, workplace disputes and issues involving administrative law.
  • The Department works with other federal agencies to encourage the use of ADR to resolve administrative agency-level cases, including employment, contracting and enforcement disputes.
  • The Department has conducted 28 training sessions in "Enhanced Negotiations and Mediation Advocacy" for its attorneys. Attorneys from the Department in 42 states have been trained to use ADR in appropriate cases.

Law Enforcement

  • In a jointly supported program through the Office of Justice Program's Executive Office of Weed & Seed and the Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS), several Weed & Seed sites are developing conflict resolution programs that link community mediation and community policing to efforts with young people.

Communities

  • The Department's Community Relations Service (CRS) provides mediation and other conflict resolution assistance, as well as training and support services, for communities seeking to ease racial and ethnic tensions. For example, CRS successfully convened a series of mediation sessions in the Little Rock, Arkansas School District that resulted in the adoption of a Revised Desegregation and Education Plan on January 16, 1998 after nearly 40 years of litigation. CRS works with schools, law enforcement and communities across the country.
  • The Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP), through its bureaus and program offices, provides ongoing support and resources, through funding and technical assistance, for a range of conflict resolution and problem-solving approaches to prevent violence and reduce crime in communities and schools throughout the country.
  • The Weed & Seed program, soon to expand to 178 sites nationally, supports the development of local crime prevention strategies that include conflict resolution and mediation for adults and children in neighborhoods across the country.
  • The Bureau of Justice Assistance's Comprehensive Communities Program (CCP) and Pulling America's Communities Together (PACT) initiative sites --representing over 40 cities and ten counties --have implemented a variety of comprehensive conflict mediation and non-violent dispute resolution services. Training and skills development are provided for students, educators, police officers, social service professionals, and families.
  • The National Institute of Justice publishes Community Mediation Programs: Developments and Challenges, which describes efforts within communities to resolve their own disputes using mediation and other consensus-based processes.
  • The Office For Victims of Crime is currently developing training materials to assist communities in starting victim-offender mediation programs.

Schools

  • The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides funding, training and technical assistance in connection with conflict resolution and violence prevention for young people. OJJDP recently sponsored a series of regional trainings at its National Conference for Conflict Resolution Education: Implementing Youth Centered Programs in Schools and Juvenile Justice Settings. Morethan1500 teachers, students, judges, school administrators, probation officers, juvenile facility staff, and counselors have been trained in the last two years. This program will be expanded, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, to increase the number of schools, juvenile justice programs and youth service organizations implementing quality conflict resolution education programs.
  • Conflict Resolution for Youth: Programming for Schools, Youth-Serving Organizations, and Community and Juvenile Justice Settings, published by OJJDP in partnership with the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program at the U.S. Department of Education, is a guide to implementing conflict resolution programs in schools and other youth-oriented programs. Since it was first published in 1996, more than 50,000 copies have been distributed.

To obtain Office of Justice Programs Publications, call (800) 851-3420 or visit our website.

For more information about the department's Conflict Resolution Activities, call (202) 616-9471.