Office of Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee

The Office of Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee is a standing Committee appointed by the Colorado Supreme Court. The Committee serves the following purposes:

• To review and make recommendations concerning the creation, expansion, administration and evaluation of dispute resolution programs throughout the state.
• To review and make recommendations concerning alternative dispute resolution policies throughout the state.
• To advise the Director of the Office of Dispute Resolution concerning policies, procedures, and strategies for improving services delivery of Office of Dispute  Resolution programs throughout the state.
• To review and make recommendations regarding fees for services offered by the Office of Dispute Resolution.

The Supreme Court Liaison to the Committee is Justice Richard Gabriel.  The committee is co-chaired by Magistrate Lococo, 19th Judicial District, and Ben Stough, District Court Administrator for the 17th Judicial District. The Committee is staffed by Sharon Sturges, Program Coordinator of the Office of Dispute Resolution.

The Committee is composed of 19 members of varying backgrounds, including: district and county judges; a senior judge; a trial court magistrate; a district administrator; a legislator; a representative of the Governor’s office; a representative from the Attorney General’s office, a representative of the Mediation Association of Colorado; a member of the Colorado Bar Association, a representative of community conflict resolution; a ODR mediator; a representative from the Restorative Justice community; a representative of the Colorado Judicial Institute; an ADR Managing Mediator or ODR Program Administrator, and a representative of higher education.

The Office of Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee meets at least two times per year.

The courts were encouraged to expand use of the Dispute Resolution Act by HJR 97-1020.

• Order Establishing the Office of Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee (PDF)
• 2011 Order of Appointment
• 2012 Order of Appointments
• 2014 Order of Appointments

Documents Related to Proposed Mediation Standards

The ODRAC recommended standards be implemented for mediators accepting court-referred cases in Colorado.  This initial recommendation was made in 2012 and a Task Force was subsequently appointed to draft a proposed policy.  You can review the proposal, two versions of the draft policy and the Task Force final submission below.

• Chief Justice Decision on Proposed Voluntary Standards for Mediators January 6, 2017
• Revised Proposed Voluntary Standards for Mediators July 2016
• Transmittal Letter re Revised Proposed Voluntary Standards for Mediators to Supreme Court Liaison
• Task Force Letter to Chief Justice Rice (December 2015)
• Draft Policy Establishing Standards for Mediators Accepting Court-Referred
• Domestic Relations Cases (December 2015)
• Draft Policy Establishing Standards for Mediators Accepting Court-Referred
• Domestic Relations Cases (October 2014)
• Task Force Interim Report to the Chief Justice (August 2014)
• Task Force Report to ODRAC (August 2014)
• 2014 Order of Appointment to Task Force
• Mediation Standards: Survey Feedback & Trending Concerns
• Draft Policy Establishing Standards for Mediators (October 2013)
• Proposal for Court-Referred Mediation (October 2012)

For any comments or concerns regarding the proposed standards, please contact Sharon Sturges at Sharon.Sturges@judicial.state.co.us

ODR Advisory Committee Meetings 2015

May 8, 2015 from 9:00-12:00          Ralph Carr Judicial Center
August 14, 2015 from 9:00-12:00    Ralph Carr Judicial Center

For more information, visit the ODR webpage.