Be neutral, 2017 September

Be Neutral September 2017
A publication of the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution

New Program Coordinator for GODR
Meet Karlie Sahs
Ms. Karlie Sahs is the new Program Coordinator for the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. Karlie started her duties with the Office on Monday, July 17.
Karlie is uniquely familiar with GODR, as she served as a member of the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts Registrar Team for over a year and is a trained general civil mediator. Prior to her time at the JC/AOC, Karlie was a legal assistant at McCalla Raymer, LLC for five years. She received her Associate of Arts degree in 2009 from College of DuPage and is in the process of completing her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Georgia State University.
In her spare time, Karlie enjoys cycling as well as engaging with community and music events.

Commission on Dispute Resolution Updates

On August 23, The Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution awarded Mr. Shinji Morokuma with the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of and in gratitude for his dedication and leadership to the Commission, Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, and Dispute Resolution in Georgia. Former Commission Chair Edith B. Primm and former Commission Member Douglas H. Yarn joined Commission Chair, Hon. Charles E. Auslander, III for the presentation.
The next meeting is November 8, at the State Bar of Georgia. Commission meeting minutes and additional information can be found here.

Pictured (L-R): Douglas H. Yarn, Shinji Morokuma, Edith Primm, and Judge Charles
E. Auslander, III

ADR Program Updates
Clayton County ADR Program
Ms. Kathleen Sterne has been chosen as the new Director of the Clayton County ADR Program. Ms. Sterne is a registered mediator in categories of General Civil, Domestic Relations, and Specialized Domestic Violence. Since 1996, she has mediated over 8000 cases across Georgia. Ms. Sterne also served as the Interim Special Programs Coordinator for the Clayton County ADR Program and as a law clerk for the presiding Magistrate and State Court Judges in Fulton County State Court. Ms. Sterne received her Juris Doctorate from Atlanta Law School, her Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University in Boston, and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Mercer University.
Cobb County Superior Court ADR Program
Earlier this year, the office moved into a new facility with state-of-the-art amenities. The new space will be an asset to growing CE classes and seminars, including their award-winning "Seminar for Divorcing Parents" seminar. The Cobb County Superior Court ADR Program has also taken charge in educating mediators on the Child Support Worksheet, through a collaboration with Cobb County's Juvenile Court and JC/AOC's Elaine Johnson. This month, they welcomed esteemed Georgia State law professor Mary Radford, mediator Dan Gulden, and Chief Judge Kelli Wolk of Cobb County Probate Court to present "Exploring Mediation in Probate and Estate Matters." Other updates also include a recent training on the impact of clients with personality disorders in mediation and the office's transitioning to a paperless system. For more detailed information on these updates and more, click here.

Announcing Improvements
Coming for 2017 Registration Renewal Period
We are happy to announce a new, revitalized portal for the Georgia Courts Registrar! To improve the registration experience, enhancements will include:
User friendly structure Software wizard: step-by-step guidance for the registration process Clear progress indicators Simpler submissions for continuing education Guided document uploading Easy to view personal information and privacy settings management Printing feature to print and save completed applications Interactive surveys to communicate user experience Tools for contacting GODR personnel
New and renewing neutrals should be able to access the renovated Georgia Courts Registrar beginning October 16, 2017. Please note that the system will be unavailable from 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 29, 2017, until 7:00 a.m., Monday, October 2, 2017.
Additional information will be made available once the new system is accessible for use.
Thank you for your patience and continued support.
Did you know?
The Okefenokee in south Georgia is the largest swamp in North America.
You can obtain CE credits for FREE by watching videos posted on the GODR website.
You can view and request job postings for ADR careers on the GODR website.
All advisory and ethics opinions can be viewed on our GODR website.
What we are reading...
ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Report of the Task Force on Research on Mediator Techniques June 12, 2017
Effectiveness of Restorative Justice Programs, OJJDP-Funded Research in Brief David B. Wilson ; Ajima Olaghere ; Catherine S. Kimbrell July 1, 2017
Substantial Changes in Child Support July 1, 2017
Patricia Buonodono, J.D., C.W.L.S.
The Child Support Guidelines, revised July 1, 2017, now require that the final judgment shall have attached to it the child support worksheet. The worksheet must contain the calculation of the final award of child support and any schedule that was prepared for calculating the amount of child support. Other changes include the ability to file multiple worksheets for multiple children, upward parenting time deviation, and judicial or jury discretion for work-related childcare expenses. Click here to learn more.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MEDIATIONS
by Scott Zucker
If we were to look at why conflicts develop between individuals or even companies, it is likely due simply because of differing opinions between the parties. Those differing opinions can be due to the disputing party's frame of reference to a situation as compared to their intentional effort to challenge the other party. Everyone has their own values, needs, experiences and cultures, which creates the frame of reference by which we view things. Read more
Calendar of Events
October 9 - State Holiday (office closed) October 11-14 - The Association of Conflict Resolution (ACR) 2017 Annual Conference Professionalize Your Passion October 19-21 -The 3rd Annual Professional Skills Program, Lipscomb University October 20 - 2017 Conflict Resolution Symposium, Georgia State University October 22-23 - The 6th Annual Conference of the Atlanta International Arbitration Society (AtlAS) International Business Disputes in an Era of Receding Globalism November 8 - Commission on Dispute Resolution Meeting, State Bar November 10 - State Holiday (office closed) November 23-24 - State Holiday (office closed) December 8 - 2017 ADR Institute, State Bar
Ongoing CE Opportunities are listed on our webpage.

Got News?
We want to hear from you. Please send any news items for future newsletters to Tracy Johnson.

Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution 404-656-3808
"Providing for the Speedy, Efficient, and Inexpensive Resolution of Disputes and Prosecutions."

Contact Us

Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, 244 Washington Street, SW, Ste. 300, Atlanta, GA 30334
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