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Under the leadership
of the Honorable Robert M. Bell, Chief Judge of the Maryland Court
of Appeals, Maryland’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Office (MACRO) has a diverse, high-level Advisory
Board. MACRO is a court-related agency, which serves
as an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) resource for the state.
MACRO supports innovative dispute resolution programs, and promotes
the appropriate use of ADR in every field. MACRO works collaboratively
with many others across the state to support efforts to advance
effective conflict resolution practices in Maryland’s courts,
communities, schools, state and local government agencies, criminal
and juvenile justice programs and businesses.
MACRO is working collaboratively
with stakeholders across the state to launch an innovative quality
assistance mechanism to ensure high quality mediation throughout
Maryland. The Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence
(MPME) is being guided by a Mediator Excellence
Council coordinated by MACRO. Its development is being followed
as a potential national model for a statewide system of continual
improvement in the quality of mediation.
MACRO is working collaboratively
with court ADR program coordinators and others to develop a web-based
data collection and ADR program evaluation system for Maryland’s
court-based ADR programs. This system will enable court administrators
to analyze comprehensive data that will help them understand, improve,
and capture the benefits of court ADR programs.
MACRO is launching
a multi-media public awareness campaign. The first campaign product
is a series of 24 colorful, creative posters with the theme “Mediation:
It’s Your Solution.” Court, school, government, and
community mediation programs will be able to customize the posters
to display information about their own mediation programs.
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What is ADR?
Alternative dispute resolution
(ADR) is an umbrella term for processes that resolve conflicts peacefully
and promote creative win-win solutions. ADR processes include: mediation,
community conferencing,
arbitration, settlement
conferences, early
neutral case evaluation, and consensus
building. ADR is increasingly being used by courts,
communities, schools, government agencies, criminal and juvenile
justice programs, businesses, and other organizations across the
country. Successful ADR programs in different fields have many benefits,
including:
empowering people to resolve their own disputes
promoting
more reasonable and peaceful behavior in the community
cutting
costs
saving
money
healing
rifts between people and restoring relationships
making
courts more user friendly
reducing
congested court dockets
involving
more people in government decision making
enhancing
the public’s access to justice
Disputing parties in different venues
across the state report a high level of satisfaction and investment
in the outcome of disputes that are resolved through the use of
ADR.
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MACRO:
Background
Recognizing the many benefits achievable though the use of ADR processes,
as well as significant successes in other states, the Honorable
Robert M. Bell, Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, created
the Maryland ADR Commission in 1998. He charged the Commission with
advancing the appropriate use of mediation and other innovative
conflict resolution processes throughout Maryland’s courts,
neighborhoods, schools, government agencies, criminal and juvenile
justice programs, and businesses. Chaired by Chief Judge Bell, ADR
Commission members included judges, public officials, legislators,
ADR practitioners, community members, lawyers, business representatives,
educators and others.
Working with over 700 people around the state, the ADR Commission
developed a consensus-based Practical Action Plan, Join
the Resolution. To implement the plan, the ADR
Commission evolved into MACRO (Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Office), which currently supports pilot projects and offers assistance
to numerous ADR programs, educational efforts, and services in courts,
schools, community mediation centers, State’s Attorney’s
offices, juvenile justice programs and government agencies across
the state.
Maryland has won national acclaim
for its multi-faceted approach to ADR as well as for the Maryland
Judiciary’s leading role in helping to prevent disputes from
reaching a stage at which court intervention is necessary.
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For More
Information
Read Join
the Resolution online here. Read MACRO’s
latest Annual Report
(6.88MB PDF) online here. For bound copies of these reports, or
to get involved in our work, or for more information about mediation,
mediators, community mediation programs, ADR in the courts, or other
ADR related issues please call MACRO, at 410-841-2260, or write
to Rachel Wohl, Executive Director, Maryland Mediation and Conflict
Resolution Office, 900 Commerce Road, Annapolis, MD 21401.
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About
MACRO 