Becoming a Neutral
How Do I Become a Mediator, Arbitrator or Early Neutral Evaluator for
the Court?
The Office of Court ADR oversees and maintains seven statewide ADR
rosters of individuals who are eligible to provide ADR services to parties
in court cases.
The statewide ADR rosters are:
- Small Claims Mediation Roster
- Domestic Relations Mediation Roster
- Land Use/Environmental/Natural Gas Pipeline Mediation Roster
- General Civil Litigation Mediation Roster
- Superior Court Mediation Roster
- Superior Court Arbitration Roster
- Superior Court Early Neutral Evaluation Roster
Neutrals must fulfill different requirements to serve on each of the
rosters. The requirements are summarized below.
The Office of Court ADR receives applications from neutrals, and all rosters
are open to new neutrals twice a year. All applications received will
be kept on file and reviewed twice annually in January and July. Attendance
at orientation sessions and criminal background checks are required.
View and download an ADR
Roster application (PDF). You will need Adobe Acrobat
Reader to view or print this application.
Once accepted to a roster, neutrals must fulfill annual continuing education
requirements to remain active on the roster.
Neutrals are asked to choose the courts they wish to serve but may not
be assigned to all of the courts requested. (Neutrals are not assigned
to any courts that they do not wish to serve.)
If you are selected as a mediator for domestic relations cases, you
will be asked to provide a monthly schedule of dates on which you are
available to take mediation assignments from the court clerk. The schedule
of small claims mediation is set by the court, and mediators serve on
a rotating basis. Mediation of land use, environmental, natural gas pipeline
and general civil/commercial cases is scheduled individually in consultation
with the mediator.
Domestic Relations Mediation Roster
A minimum of 100 hours of mediation training and experience, including:
- At least 40 hours of mediation process training (15 hours in the
last two years)
- At least 20 hours of experience as a mediator
- At least 10 hours of training or experience in domestic relations
law
- At least 8 hours of training related to domestic abuse issues
Small Claims Mediation Roster
A minimum of 50 hours of mediation training and experience, including:
- At least 20 hours of mediation process training (15 hours in the
last two years)
- At least 15 hours of experience as a mediator
- At least 3 hours of training or experience in consumer or debtor/creditor
law
Environmental/Land Use/Natural Gas Pipeline Mediation
Roster
A minimum of 110 hours of mediation training and experience, including:
- At least 40 hours of mediation process training (15 hours in the last
two years)
- At least 20 hours of experience as a mediator, facilitator of multi-party
contested issues
- At least 20 hours of training or experience in a land use field
General Civil Mediation Roster
A minimum of 100 hours of mediation training and experience, including:
- At least 40 hours of mediation process training (15 in the last two
years)
- At least 20 hours of experience as a mediator
- At least 10 hours of training or experience in general civil law
and court procedure
Superior Court Mediation Roster
A minimum of 100 hours of training and experience, including
- At least 40 hours of mediation process training (at least 15 in the
last two years)
- At least 20 hours of experience as a mediator
- At least 10 hours of training or experience in general civil law
and court procedure
Superior Court Arbitration Roster
An applicant shall:
- Be a lawyer for at least eight years (including at least the last
three in the State of Maine) and have substantial recent experience
in the subject matter of the type of case to be referred; OR
- Have at least eight years of substantial recent experience (including
at least the last three in the State of Maine) in the subject matter
of the type of case to be referred (for instance, as a contractor for
a contracting dispute, an accountant for a business dispute, or a doctor
for a medical dispute); OR
- Be a member of an arbitration panel of the American Arbitration Association
or an equivalent organization for the type of case to be referred; and
- Have completed at least 6 hours of training in the arbitration
process
- Have the ability to conduct an evidentiary hearing
Superior Court Early Neutral Evaluation Roster
An applicant shall:
- Be a lawyer for at least eight years (at least the last three of
which in the State of Maine) and have substantial recent experience
in the subject matter of the type of case to be referred; OR
- Have at least eight years of substantial recent experience (at least
the last three of which in the State of Maine) in the subject matter
of the type of case to be referred (for instance, as a contractor for
a construction dispute, an accountant for a business dispute, or a doctor
for a medical dispute); OR
- Have served on the Volunteer Conference Neutral Roster in the four-county
ADR Superior Court Pilot Project (1995-97)
- Have the ability to conduct a case evaluation proceeding
