Programs

Program Development

RSI aids in the development of new and existing court-related ADR programs predominantly in Illinois with a variety of efforts. Some are focused on particular areas, such as poor and low-income disputants outside Cook County. The single area of greatest concentration has been development of major civil case mediation programs across the state. RSI has helped other programs in a variety of ways. In addition, RSI provides ad hoc assistance to judges in developing their knowledge and use of ADR programs.

  • Mediation program development: RSI assists courts in developing ADR programs. RSI has supplied advice on designing the programs, provided mediation trainers, and installed software to monitor and evaluate the following programs:
    • Major civil litigation mediation programs in the 1st, 6th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 20th Judicial Circuits and Cook County Circuit Court
    • Civil litigation mediation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Western Division).
    • The Winnebago County Small Claims Mediation Program, which is a partnership of Illinois’s 17th Judicial Circuit and the Winnebago County Bar Association.
    • Judicial mediation of custody and visitation cases in the 2nd Judicial Circuit
    • The family mediation program in the 1st Judicial Circuit.
  • Assistance to the judiciary: RSI educates, consults with, and provides resources to judges throughout Illinois. Examples include:
    • Judicial trainings that range from local luncheon roundtables in which judges share their experiences with ADR to regional all-day training sessions with nationally recognized trainers.
    • Judicial consultations regarding local ADR needs and appropriate programs to address those interests.
    • Individually formulated research compilations for judges on specific applications of ADR including program descriptions, samples of court rules from within Illinois and elsewhere, and related articles and studies.
    • Information on a program that awards privately-funded scholarships to Illinois judges to attend National Judicial College mediation training.