Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 56
CHAPTER 6
Relative to Mediation Week.
[
Filed with
Secretary of State
March 06, 1996.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 56, Goldsmith.
Mediation Week.
This resolution designates the week of March 17 to March 23, 1996, inclusive, as Mediation Week.
Digest Key
WHEREAS, The legal needs of our society have increased dramatically; and
WHEREAS, In an effort to ameliorate these conditions, restore harmony, improve relations between citizens and within neighborhoods and families, and relieve the growing burden on our judiciary, many of our citizens have turned to dispute resolution services, with resultant social and economic benefits; and
WHEREAS, Mediation, which provides parties with a simplified and economical procedure for obtaining prompt and equitable resolution of their disputes and a greater opportunity to participate directly in resolving their disputes, has proven over the years to be one of the most effective of these alternative dispute resolution techniques; and
WHEREAS, California has had mandatory mediation of child custody and visitation disputes since 1981, and evaluations of these programs have found that mediation has resulted in the resolution of over two-thirds of the mediated disputes and achieved a high satisfaction rate among the participants; and
WHEREAS, Studies by the Rand Corporation and others show that the use of mediation and other appropriate alternative dispute resolution processes can reduce the time, cost, and stress of resolving disputes in many cases, both to disputants, by reducing costs for such things as expert witnesses and trial preparation, and to the justice system as a whole by as much threefold to fivefold over the cost of traditional court processing of civil cases; and
WHEREAS, The State Bar of California and many local bar associations are engaged in promoting the use of mediation and raising public consciousness about its merits, and are seeking to increase public use of, and support for, alternative dispute resolution applications; and, to that end, are cooperating in many activities to assist counties and dispute resolution providers in their efforts at serving citizens; and
WHEREAS, The State of California now has thousands of citizens trained as mediators and many agencies, organizations, and attorneys who specialize in providing related services and ready assistance to those in need of services; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the week of March 17 to March 23, 1996, inclusive, as Mediation Week, in order to afford an opportunity for the citizens of California to become aware of the availability of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution techniques as options for solving their legal problems, and to express sincere appreciation to our citizens who are working diligently in assisting fellow citizens and businesses in the resolution of conflict and the settlement of disputes; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit a copy of this resolution to the Governor of the State of California.