Online Dispute Resolution has been with us in various forms since the 1990s, although it really became widely accepted a little over five years ago. By contrast, widespread acceptance of virtual mediation seems to have been an outgrowth of the COVID pandemic. Today many courts around the country use one form or the other (or possibly both) to quickly and efficiently settle disputes. What has been the courts’ experience using these two different platforms? This month we’re looking at online dispute resolution and virtual mediation.
Some of the Topics We Will Explore:
- What has been the courts’ experience with these two formats?
- Why did a court choose to go with one format over the other?
- What has been the response from the folks using that format?
- What has been the biggest benefit and the one thing that needs to be changed?
Today’s Panelists:
- Kathy Scott: the Small Claims and Civil Pro Se Mediation Program Coordinator for the Multnomah Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon
- Joe Haas: a Domestic Relations Mediator for the St. Joseph Circuit Court, in Centreville, Michigan
- Kelly Steele, Court Programs Manager for the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Orlando, Florida
Click here listen to the podcast.The audio version is 30 minutes 33 seconds long and the video is 31 minutes and 44 seconds long.
Time Marker Sheet
Leave a question or comment about the episode at clapodcast@nacmnet.org
Show Notes
Kelly Steele is the Director of Case Management who oversees Civil Case Management and all Problem Solving Court programs for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court based in Orlando, Florida. She began her career with the courts working at the Administrative Office of the Courts in Atlanta, Georgia as the Budget Director. After her seven-year career in Atlanta, Ms. Steele moved to Denver, Colorado where she accepted a position with the Office of the State Court Administrator as a policy analyst.
In 2013, Ms. Steele moved to Florida where she began her work in the Ninth Circuit as the Adult Drug Court Manager. For the last seven years, Ms. Steele has been the program manager for all problem solving courts in the Circuit supporting the expansion and enhancement of Drug Courts, Veterans Treatment Courts and Mental Health Courts in Orange and Osceola counties. In 2020 Ms. Steele was appointed by Chief Justice Canady to the Supreme Court’s Steering Committee on Problem Solving Courts. In addition to her work with problem solving courts Ms. Steele also supports civil case management, data analysis, planning and security operations in the Circuit.
Ms. Steele holds a B.A. in Business and Economics from Agnes Scott College, a M.S. in International Affairs and a M.S. in Public Policy; both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has received her Certified Court Manager and Certified Court Executive credentials from the National Center for State Courts.
Kathy Scott is the Small Claims and Civil Pro Se Mediation Program Coordinator. She has been a mediator for 25 years, having entered the field to learn to cope with her dread of conflict. She still doesn’t like conflict, but has learned to see the potential in it and to work with it, often successfully, especially if it is someone else’s!
In previous lives, she was, in random order: a co-founder of an educational foundation, a flight attendant for an international charter airline, a mediation coordinator for a federal workplace program, a mom, an attorney for the Ninth Circuit and a California court of appeal, a mediator, a deputy district attorney, a co-owner of a horse stables and blueberry field, a Master Practitioner of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), an executive director for a community leadership nonprofit, a “professional” volunteer, and a trainer offering small workshops on subjects varying from redworm composting to forgiveness.
Kathy received her BA in psychology from Stanford University and her JD from the University of California, Davis and Boalt Hall (Berkeley). She loves stories and is happy to be here at the court, where the daily stories range from the mundane to the unbelievable, sometimes even transcendent.
P. Joesph Haas, Jr.
joined the law firm upon graduation from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1992. He is a native of St. Joseph County, having been raised in Mendon, and graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1988.
Joe has been active in both local and state bar association activities. Locally, Joe served as the President of the St. Joseph County Bar Association. Statewide, Joe is a member of the Employment and Labor Law Section, Family Law Section, Business Law, and Public Corporation Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Regionally, Joe is licensed to practice in Indiana and is a member of the Indiana Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Joe concentrates in family law issues in both Michigan and Indiana. He holds a Certificate of Completion in the area of family law issued by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Family Law Section of the State of Michigan.
Joe’s practice also includes representation of a number of community banks located in Southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana, with an emphasis in foreclosures and loan workouts.
Joe has taken special interest in the area of labor and employment law, where he has helped clients develop and maintain employee handbooks and various employment policies. Joe has been a frequent contributor and presenter at programs for the St. Joseph Count Human Resources Council.
He also has been active in serving as legal counsel for various area businesses and municipalities. Throughout his career, Joe has encouraged the use of alternate dispute resolutions. He frequently serves as a facilitative mediator involving a variety of issues and areas of law.
Upon coming to Sturgis, Joe became immediately involved in a number of community organizations. Joe has served on the City Commission from 1999-2006 and was appointed Mayor of Sturgis for the 2004-05 term. In addition, Joe is a past-chairman of the St. Joseph County Republican Party and the immediate past chairman of the Michigan 6th District Republican Party Executive Committee, and a member of the Sturgis Exchange Club, serving as its President in 1997-98 and again in 2014-2015. Joe was named Sturgis Exchangite of the Year in 1999 and Southwestern Michigan Exchangite of the Year in 2002.
He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the St. Joseph County United Way. He was President of the Sturgis United Fund at the time of its merger with the Western St. Joseph County Community Chest, which merger formed the current St. Joseph County United Way. He has been active with the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce where he co-chaired Sturgis’ annual Michigan Week celebration and was a member of the Board of Directors and Ambassadors Club, and currently the chairman for its Public Advocacy Committee. Joe currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Glen Oaks Community College and Board of Directors of the Sturgis Area Community Foundation.
Joe also served on, or been a Commission liaison, to a number of City boards, including the Sturgis Hospital Board, the Downtown Development Authority and the City Employee Retirement Board. He is a mentor and board member of the Sturgis Area Business Education Alliance and is a long time member of the Elks Lodge #1381, where he served as Exalted Ruler in 1996-97. Joe is currently vice-chairman of the Sturgis Hospital Board of Trustees. Joe has also been active in the Trojan Boosters Club and Sturgis Gridiron Club, and is a former board member (and its chair) for the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority.
