Domestic Relations Mediation

This skills-based course is offered for three (3) credit hours and is available to up to sixteen (16) students. The course is offered in the fall each year and is the prerequisite for taking B691, the Family & Children Mediation Clinic, although students who take B563 are not required to take B691. Through this course, 2L and 3L students learn how to mediate in the family law context, with the necessary training to become registered domestic relations mediators in Indiana (after successful completion of the course and registration with the Indiana Accreditation and Continuing Legal Education Commission). This training serves as the foundation for students to mediate cases referred by local courts in B691, under the supervision of Professor Applegate.

The course offers students the opportunity to:

1) learn how to mediate, the most utilized form of alternative dispute resolution in virtually all fields of law;

2) improve and enhance communication skills that will be useful in many legal contexts;

3) learn about family law and mediation ethics in Indiana;

4) learn about domestic violence and its effect on families and family dispute resolution; and

5) learn about interdisciplinary research and practice.

In accordance with state licensing requirements, experts in communications and mental health issues will teach several of the classes during the course. In addition to Professor Applegate, other experienced mediators will periodically attend to demonstrate and/or provide feedback to students during role plays, thus exposing students to different styles of mediation.

Interested students should contact Professor Applegate by e-mail (aga@indiana.edu) explaining their interest in the course and attaching a current resume. Students may enroll in the course after receiving advance approval from Professor Applegate to enroll. Given the limited number of spaces, any interested student should contact Professor Applegate in advance of 3L registration for the fall semester. Interested students should also understand that for state licensing purposes, attendance during the entire course is mandatory; in the event of an unavoidable absence for health or another legitimate exigent circumstance, and with advance notice to Professor Applegate, students will be given the opportunity to make up a missed class by watching a recording of the missed class.

Please refer to the B563 course description in the registration materials for more information.