This article compares Russian and USA mediation regulations and explores what the new field of mediation education in Russia can be learnt from the USA. The autor explores the history of developing and the place of the new Russian mediation law and how it fits within the Russian legal system. The article examines crosscultural perspectives of teaching mediation and explains the current goals of mediation courses into the USA and Russia, attempts to understand the system of teaching mediation in different law systems and explains the current goals of these courses.
курсы медиации; медиация в России; медиация в США; медиация; обучение медиации
See the begining: Vol. 1. Issue 2
V. Teaching mediation in Russia and the U.S.A.
1. Cultural, political and legal perspectives of mediation courses in the U.S.A. and Russia
a) Age and professional area of the students
In American education mediation is a course at law school, where people can decide do they want to take it or not. Mediation also it is a separate special course for adult people, who purposefully taking an intensive course during short period of time, 2 weeks or more, with intention to work as a mediators, or to expand their skills in negotiation. As a result, the age range of the students in mediation courses vary from 22 to 50 years old.
In Russia mediation course has only recently been offered, for people who consciously decided to take it. The target audience here — adult people, specialists, mostly lawyers and economists, businessmen (because they are first people who have heard about it and know what is mediation about). The age range is very from 24 to 35 years old, not as wide as in the US, because not a lot of people actually know about mediation itself. Training program for mediators an additional professional education program of professional retraining, implied for the professionals, not for people just finished the high school.
b) Ability and willingness of students to be a high professional specialists of mediation
It is still an open question whether the universities in Russia include mediation as a course in the educational program. In Russia, students are not allowed to choose their courses, they are directed to take the courses according to the faculty’s program. This way there will be a lot of people, certificated as mediators. But the question is — will they be able to provide an appropriate level of proficiency? Some factors play here important role, such as willingness of students, how well they will participate in studying, ability to do it (because it is very emotional and stressful job), preparation and strategies of teachers, development of mediation clinical education.
1. Prikaz Minobrnayki RF № 187, supra note 47.
2. http://mosmediator.narod.ru/obuchenie_mediatsii/ (Portal about Mediation Procedures - Alternative dispute resolution - conciliation; Portal about Teaching mediation).
3. http://mosmediator.narod.ru/obuchenie_mediatsii, supra note 97.
4. http://www.institute-mediation.com/learning/ (International Institute of Mediation, State Certification).
5. http://www.profmediator.ru/ru/stranitsi/obuchenie (an alliance of professional mediators non-profit partnership, learning).
6. http://www.lgu-moscow.ru/mediation.html (Moscow branch of the Leningrad A.S. Puskin’s State University).
7. http://www.mediacia.com/ (Centre of Mediation and Law).
8. New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, supra note 84.
9. Volunteers of America, Western Washington, Become a Certified Mediator, http://www.voaww.org/Get-Help/Dispute-Resolution-Services/Trainings/Become-a-Certified-Mediator (last visited May 5, 2012).
10. Carries Menkel-Meadow, Lela Porter Love, Andrea Kupfer Schneider, Teachers Manual and Simulation Materials. Mediation: Practice, Policy, and Ethics 10 (2006).
11. Michael T. Colatrella Jr., Course Description, Mediation Spring Term (2012).
12. Diane Levin, You be the judge: do retiring justices make the best neutrals?, Mediation Channel (March 6, 2008), http://mediationchannel.com/2008/03/06/you-be-the-judge-do-retiring-justices-make-the-best-neutrals/.
13. The Honourable Marilyn Warren AC Chief Justice of Victoria, Should judges be mediators?, http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/VicJSchol/2010/1.pdf (Last visited May 1, 2012).
14. http://institut.apspb.ru/obuchenie-mediacii-%E2%80%93-kurs-podgotovki-professionalnyx-mediatorov/ (official site of Bar Department on The Institute for Legal Research, Advocacy and Mediation Bar Association of St. Petersburg; Program of Mediation training - Professional training course mediators).
15. http://mosmediator.narod.ru/obuchenie_mediatsii/ (Mediator Court procedures - Alternative dispute resolution - conciliation; Teaching mediation).
16. http://mosmediator.narod.ru/obuchenie_mediatsii/ (Mediator Court procedures - Alternative dispute resolution - conciliation; Teaching mediation).
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18. The Phrase Finder, http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/55/messages/669.html (last visited May 4, 2012).
19. Elliot S. Milstein, Clinical Legal Education In The United States: In-House Clinics, Externships, And Simulations, Journal of Legal Education, Sept. 2001.
20. http://www.mediacia.com/medclinic.htm (Official Site of The Center of Mediation and The Law, Center for Mediation and Law is a leading Russian organization dedicated to the introduction and spread of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and mediation.)
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23. Iosilevich I.S. Yuridicheskaya klinika (Predislovie). Yuridicheskaya gazeta. 22 fevra lya 1897 goda. C. 1.
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25. http://www.admomsk.ru/web/guest/progress/legalculture/clinic (Law Clinics of Omsk City)
26. http://www.mediacia.com/medclinic.htm (Official Site of The Center of Mediation and The Law, Center for Mediation and Law is a leading Russian organization dedicated to the introduction and spread of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and mediation.)
