I am a member of the MassUMA Working Group, a committee which is exploring the possible adoption of the Uniform Mediation Act here in the Commonwealth.

We would be very interested in hearing from mediators in states which have adopted the UMA as to how it has affected your practice (if at all). We are especially interested in learning how it has impacted your description of the process to parties and/or their representatives, including privilege and exceptions to confidentiality. For example, do you hand out a copy of the statute to your clients? Provide a synopsis orally or in writing? Or simply ignore it? Has the UMA affected your practice in any other significant way?

All responses would be warmly received (and, of course, kept confidential!). By the way, you can see what our working group has accomplished so far and where we’re headed by visiting our web site at http://www.massuma.com/.

Please feel free of course to pass our request on to colleagues–the more widely we can disseminate this request, the more complete our investigation will be. Please e-mail your information to massuma@adrblogs.com.

Thank you for any assistance you can give us–it will be greatly appreciated by all.

The most recent addition to the World Directory of ADR Blogs project is CResearch, the directory’s first blog devoted to conflict resolution research, news, and commentary.

Published by John Windmueller, Assistant Professor at the University of Baltimore’s Center for Negotiations and Conflict Management, CResearch was created to further discussions and information sharing between conflict resolution researchers and practitioners.

As John explains, “[W]here possible I’d like to see the division between practice and research blurred, with practitioners becoming more empowered and able to integrate research into their everyday work. Toward that, the site will share techniques, tools, and tips for practitioners interested in following their curiosity and bringing more rigorous evaluation and learning into their practice.”

I invite you to join me in welcoming John to the ADR blogosphere.

I’m always on the lookout for blogs to add to the World Directory of ADR Blogs‘ growing catalogue. If you wish to add your blog or someone else’s to the Directory, please let me know. It’s a commercial-free site, and there is no cost to be listed. The Directory has information on submitting your blog and submission guidelines.