Michigan State University College of Law is a leading institution of legal education with a long history of creating practice-ready attorneys. Like any engaged educational community, MSU Law faces some  interpersonal conflict among students. MSU is looking to create a peer mediation program that will empower students to resolve their issues in an informal process that allows for shared communication, learning opportunities, and creative and lasting solutions. The Planning Committee for this peer mediation program contacted HNMCP to assist with the creation of this program.  One distinct benefit of a peer mediation program is that it allows students trained in the current mediation certification courses to further develop and hone their skills.

Our Work

• Creating a needs assessment survey for students to determine the conflict resolution needs of the community.
• Researching peer mediation programs at other law schools and how they operate, which conflicts they handle, and where they limit confidentiality

Final Product

• Recommended design/operational guidelines regarding:  case in-take; confidentiality; scope of issues to be mediated; a roster of student mediators; relationship to more formal grievance processes, appeals, etc.
• Recommended plan for implementation/development/future growth of the program.