Several months ago I reported that the Boston Bar Association (BBA) had announced that it had drafted a proposed amendment to the Massachusetts statute protecting mediation confidentiality.

Now another group is forging off in a new direction. The Massachusetts Uniform Mediation Act Working Group (MassUMA) has extended an open invitation to mediation organizations and private practitioners to explore the feasibility of replacing the Massachusetts mediation confidentiality statute with an adapted version of the Uniform Mediation Act.

The first meeting will be held on Friday, September 8, 2006, at Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the 4th Floor Faculty Dining Room. Please RSVP with Israela Brill-Cass by email or by phone at 617-439-4700 no later than Friday, September 1, 2006.

More information about MassUMA is available at its web site at www.MassUMA.com.

I am glad to announce my return to blogging with two additions to the World Directory of ADR Blogs. The first of these is one I am sorry I hadn’t thought to include sooner, since its author supports ADR and has been a source of friendly encouragement to me and to many other bloggers. These two additions are:

What About Clients? shares the creative energies and insights of attorney J. Daniel Hull “on servicing business clients as valued customers in American law firms”–a message which applies equally to mediators and other conflict resolution professionals. This blog also explores issues confronting the American legal profession and cultural aspects of international law practice. Its sidebar contains a directory of non-U.S. law blogs (which includes some names familiar to readers of Online Guide to Mediation–Geoff Sharp and Stephen Raymond) together with international law resources, bringing a welcome global perspective to law bloggers and readers alike. (Mediators will be delighted to see the title of one of Dan’s recent posts: “First-Rate Mediators Are Worth Their Weight In Gold“–as indeed they are.)

Gini Nelson, an attorney, consultant, and coach in Santa Fe, New Mexico, recently launched the eponymous Gini Nelson’s Engaging Conflicts, a blog that explores, in Gini’s words, “what the converging disciplines of neuroscience, evolutionary biology, cognitive psychology, and anthropology can tell us about conflict, business success, and spirituality.”

It’s a pleasure to welcome Gini to the community of conflict resolution bloggers. It’s good to know that more voices continue to join our conversation.

Remember, if you publish an alternative dispute resolution blog (or one that is ADR-friendly) and would like to be added to the World Directory of ADR Blogs, please let me know. It’s a completely commercial-free site, and there is no cost to be listed. The Directory has information on submitting your blog and submission guidelines.

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