Mediation Power Imbalance Toolkit

Tips for Managing Power Imbalances Between Landlord Attorneys and Tenants in Eviction Mediation is written for mediators who mediate cases involving an attorney on one side and a self-represented tenant on the other. These mediations involve stark differences in knowledge and position that can create power imbalances between the parties. The guide is informed by the input of experienced mediators, prior research and our own observations of eviction mediations. During our observations, we watched for power imbalance issues as well as examples of good practices that mediators used to address them.

As you read through this guide, you will find information on what to look out for and how to address each power imbalance issue if it arises. We also include quick tips at the end of each section that you can refer to if you need a quick reminder of what to do. Although our guidance is geared toward eviction mediations, it can apply to other contexts as well.

Access the toolkit here.