This workshop will be english spoken.

Workshopleader: Eric van Ginkel

In 1993, the California legislature passed a bill mandating that the Los Angeles County Superior Court (LASC) set up a pilot program to study the effectiveness of mediation as a method of resolving general civil cases and to quantify the cost savings to the court.

Now, more than fifteen years later, the LASC refers about 25,000 cases to mediation every single year.  How has the program changed over the years?  Has the program been adopted in other states, and if so, in what form?  What are the reactions of stakeholders, and how may their opinions improve the program?  Can the program serve as a model or inspiration for other countries?  Specifically, within the framework of the EU Directive, could a country such as the Netherlands take advantage of the California experience?