The North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission has certified Harkey Litigation attorney W. Scott Harkey as a Superior Court Mediator. He now has the authority to conduct Mediated Settlement Conferences in North Carolina Superior Court civil actions.
What is the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission?
Established by North Carolina Statute in 1995, the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission certifies and regulates mediators who serve North Carolina courts. The commission provides guidance on mediation policy, rule revisions, and other dispute resolution matters before North Carolina’s court system. The commission also certifies the training programs for mediators who are certified in North Carolina.
What is a Certified Superior Court Mediator?
North Carolina has a set of rules to implement a system of settlement events designed to focus the parties’ attention on settlement. In nearly all North Carolina civil actions, it is required that all parties attend a pretrial mediated settlement conference. A mediator is not a Judge. It is the duty of the mediator to be neutral, impartial, and control the mediated settlement conference.
Mediated Settlement Conference Certification
To become certified, mediators must participate in at least 40-hours of instruction in a certified training program. The curriculum includes conflict resolution and mediation theory, mediation process and techniques, communication and information gathering skills, standards of conduct for mediators, rules of mediated settlement conferences, demonstrations, simulations, and the completion of an exam. Among other things, to be certified, attorneys must be in good standing with the North Carolina State Bar, have at least 5-years of experience, observe two mediated settlement conferences, demonstrate a familiarity with the rules governing settlement conferences in North Carolina, be of good moral character, and adhere to the standards of Professional Conduct for Mediators.
“I want to thank Ellen Gelbin, Ann Anderson, Barney Barnhardt, and my wonderful colleagues who joined me in the 40-hour Mediated Settlement Conference Program. I’m also extraordinarily grateful to Colleen Byers and Judge Anderson Cromer for allowing me to observe their mediations as part of the certification process. All of these individuals are exceptionally talented at the art of conflict resolution.”
-W. Scott Harkey
Colleen Byers
https://www.byersmediation.com
Anderson Cromer
https://andycromermediation.com
Ellen Gelbin
Ann Anderson
https://www.ncmediators.org/ann-anderson
Barney Barnhardt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barney-barnhardt-54448824/
About the Author: W. Scott Harkey is the managing attorney at Harkey Litigation. He is a former senior white-collar special prosecutor and board certified specialist in North Carolina Criminal Law. Harkey is also a Certified Superior Court Mediator in North Carolina. Click here to learn about some of the notable cases Harkey has handled.
