Mediation Clinic

Catalog description

Clinic students in the Landlord-Tenant Mediation Clinic are trained in the basics of mediation and are given the important responsibility to facilitate mediations in active landlord-tenant cases in Suffolk County District Court. Students will learn the basics of landlord-tenant law and mediation techniques. Seminar will include simulations exploring negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. For case work, students will be paired in groups of two and, under the supervision of a court-certified mediator, will act as mediators with the goal of resolving cases. This clinic will provide a critically important service to litigants and judges in landlord-tenant matters. It is anticipated that housing courts will receive a crush of cases due to the expiration of eviction moratoriums, uncertainty of unemployment insurance benefits, and other challenges posed by the pandemic. Students will also develop negotiation skills, proficiency in mediation, and knowledge of landlord-tenant law and court procedures.