Becoming a Mentor Mediator

A mediator must meet the following requirements for mentor status prior to serving as a mentor:

1) Certification as a mediator at the court level for which he or she seeks to provide mentor services.

2) Completion of a minimum of ten (10) cases and thirty (30) hours of mediation at the court level for which he or she seeks to provide mentor services.

3) Recertification at least once in the level(s) of court in which the mentor seeks to

provide mentor services. For example, a Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court mentor must be recertified in Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court at least once. A waiver of the recertification two-year time requirement (the cases and training required to recertify will not be waived) will be considered based on a letter of recommendation by the Director of a community mediation center or other established mediation organization, describing the mediation experience and training of the applicant;

4) Participation in a minimum of a four (4)-hour certified course on Mentoring

Individuals Seeking Certification as a Court-Referred Mediator; and

5) DRS approval of the completed Mentor Application (OES Form ADR-4000).

Note: Mentor status does not automatically apply to all levels of court at which a mediator is certified. A mediator must apply at each level for mentor status.

Circuit Court Civil (CCC)

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent relevant experience

Mediation Skills & Process (20 hours basic mediation training)

Advanced civil mediation training totaling at least 20 hours and covering these topics:  

Facilitation and Group Consensus Building (16 hours)

Mediating Complex and Multi-party Civil Cases (8 hours)
Preparing Memoranda and Agreements (4 hours)

Orientation to the Virginia Judicial System (4 hours introduction to how Virginia Courts work and where mediation fits in; may be taken out of order; requirement waived for current members of the Virginia Bar)

Observation of two circuit civil cases or 2 day Mediation Practicum: Federal & Commercial Role-Play training

Co-mediation of 5 circuit level civil cases totaling at least 10 hours of mediation

Primary scrivener for at least one mediated agreement

GDC certified mediators may "upgrade" their certification to CCC by:

Taking the advanced civil mediation training described above

Observing one circuit court civil case

Conducting two circuit court civil co-mediations