On Monday, October 16, a celebration of the new, Hampden Probate and Family Court Mandatory Mediation Pilot program was held at the Hampden County Hall of Justice. Key personnel and organizations involved in the establishment of the Commonwealth’s first mandatory mediation program were recognized.
The innovative program is the result of a unique collaboration among The Mediation and Training Collaborative (TMTC), and Western New England University’s Family Law Mediation Clinic. Betsey Williams, program coordinator at TMTC, and Attorney Oran Kaufman, a faculty member who runs the Western New England University School of Law Family Law Mediation Clinic, were recognized for their valuable contributions. Court personnel, including Honorable David G. Sacks, and Hampden Alternative Dispute Resolution coordinators Kristina Bordieri and Jocelyn Axelson-Berry, were also recognized for their integral role in the program.
The event, cosponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section, along with the Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire County Bar Associations and the Trial Court’s Dispute Resolution Standing Committee, was a kick-off event for Conflict Resolution Week in Massachusetts.
