Mediation Center of the United States

Mediation Center of the United States
Name	Mediation Center of the United States
Type	Nonprofit dispute resolution organization
Founded	1978
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Area served	United States
Services	Mediation, arbitration, training, research

Mediation Center of the United States is a nonprofit dispute resolution organization established in 1978 that provides mediation, arbitration, training, and research services across the United States. It operates from Washington, D.C., and maintains partnerships with federal and state institutions, universities, courts, and international organizations. The center has been involved in high-profile labor, commercial, and community mediations and contributes to policy discussions with think tanks and foundations.

History

The center was founded in 1978 amidst reform efforts influenced by labor negotiations such as the Taft–Hartley Act era disputes, corporate reorganizations exemplified by Chrysler Corporation interventions, and federal initiatives like the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service expansion. Early patrons included figures affiliated with Harvard University, Columbia University, and policy institutes such as the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the center worked alongside courts in jurisdictions like the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and collaborated with bar associations including the American Bar Association and state bar groups in California, New York, and Illinois. In the 2000s the center expanded programs influenced by international practice from institutions such as Chatham House, International Crisis Group, and the United Nations mediation services, and it partnered with universities including Stanford University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago on empirical research.

Organization and Governance

The center is governed by a board of directors drawn from legal, academic, and public sectors, with affiliations to institutions such as Georgetown University, New York University School of Law, University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse University, and corporate counsel from firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Executive leadership has included alumni of programs at Harvard Kennedy School, Princeton University, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. The governance model draws on nonprofit best practices used by organizations such as the Red Cross, United Way, and the Tides Foundation, and maintains advisory councils with members from the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, and the American Arbitration Association. Financial oversight has been audited by major firms like Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers and guided by philanthropic partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Ford Foundation.

Programs and Services

The center provides neutral mediation and arbitration services for disputes involving unions like the United Auto Workers, corporations formerly associated with General Motors, public entities such as the City of Chicago, and nonprofit institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It operates courthouse-connected programs in collaboration with courts like the Supreme Court of the United States's clerks' offices, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and state supreme courts such as the Supreme Court of California. Alternative dispute resolution services extend to sectors represented by organizations like the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Department of Education. The center runs community mediation projects in neighborhoods with involvement from civic organizations such as the YMCA, NAACP, and AARP. It also offers policy consultation for state legislatures including those of Texas and Massachusetts and coordinates with international partners like International Committee of the Red Cross and Organization of American States for cross-border cases.

Training and Accreditation

Training programs are administered in partnership with law schools and professional schools including Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and the London School of Economics for comparative modules. Accreditation standards reference models from the American Arbitration Association, the National Association for Community Mediation, and the International Mediation Institute. Continuing education credits are coordinated with state bars such as the New York State Bar Association and the State Bar of California, and collaborative offerings have been sponsored alongside institutions like Pepperdine University School of Law and University of Michigan. The center publishes curricula drawing on scholarship from journals associated with Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and the American Journal of International Law.

Case Types and Procedures

The center handles labor disputes involving parties like Teamsters and public employee unions, commercial disputes among corporations formerly tied to AT&T and IBM, landlord-tenant mediations in cities such as New York City and Los Angeles, family law mediations referenced in practices from Juvenile Court systems, and educational disputes involving school districts like New York City Department of Education and Los Angeles Unified School District. Intake and case management procedures adopt models used by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and American Arbitration Association, with panels drawn from rosters including mediators trained at Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Program and Rutgers School of Law. Confidentiality protocols are informed by precedents in cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and statutory frameworks such as the Federal Rules of Evidence where applicable, and procedures adapt to appellate and trial court referrals including those from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Impact and Criticism

The center has been credited with resolving high-profile labor standoffs and reducing litigation in matters linked to corporations such as Walmart and Amazon, and with influencing ADR policy in municipalities including Seattle and Boston. Academic assessments by scholars at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania Law School, and Harvard Law School have examined its outcomes, while think tanks like the RAND Corporation and the Urban Institute have evaluated program effectiveness. Criticism has come from commentators associated with Public Citizen, labor advocates from AFL–CIO, and some legal scholars at Georgetown University Law Center who argue about neutrality, fee structures, and access to justice, with debates appearing in forums hosted by the American Bar Association and panels at ABA Annual Meeting. Regulatory scrutiny and public debates have involved policymakers from the United States Congress and state legislatures, and reportage in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal has shaped public perception.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.