The Cardozo Mediation Clinic is an eight-credit, two-semester program in which sixteen students are trained and supervised in mediating cases before the New York City Small Claims Court, New York City Civil Court, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and civil matters before the federal district court for the Eastern District of New York.

Students mediate a variety of civil matters, including disputes between business partners, vendors and consumers, family members, landlords and tenants, neighbors, municipalities and community members, and employees and employers. Clinic students also participate in a weekly seminar where they study the broad field of conflict resolution and practice techniques in client counseling, negotiation, arbitration, and representation in mediation.

Clinic participants train to be mediators in the fall semester of the program. In the spring semester, they are full-fledged, approved mediators servicing difficult and diverse cases. Cardozo students participate in all aspects of the mediation process and serve as apprentice mediators (observing or co-mediating) or as a mediator. Of those cases, a majority result in an agreement between the parties. Supplementing their mediation service, during the spring semester, each student gives a presentation on conflict resolution to students in high school, college, law school, community organizations, or other audiences.

Founded in 1985, Cardozo was one of the first law schools in the nation to establish a Mediation Clinic. Alumni of Cardozo’s Mediation Clinic have become leaders in the field of dispute resolution. In addition to the educational value of the Mediation Clinic, Cardozo is proud of the community service the clinic provides in partnership with The New York Peace Institute.