WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine announced today that he has expanded the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) Community Dispute Resolution Program, launched last year to resolve lawsuits against the District government through an informal mediation process. OAG has increased the program’s eligibility limit on monetary claims against the District to $50,000 and will now cover attorney’s fees for special education cases in which the plaintiff has prevailed in an administrative special education hearing.
The program was launched to allow individuals with meritorious claims to obtain a quick resolution and save both plaintiffs and taxpayers the cost of going to trial. To date, the program has successfully resolved 100 percent of cases in which the plaintiff and the District agreed to mediation. Those 12 cases have included personal injury cases, false arrests, and special education attorney’s fee cases.
“In its first year, our Community Dispute Resolution Program was so effective at resolving claims and saving taxpayer money that it made sense to expand and build upon its success,” said Attorney General Racine. “We hope this expansion will encourage District residents to use our mediation program to resolve their claims in a quick, fair, and informal way. I’d like to express my appreciation to Deputy Attorney General George Valentine, who leads our Civil Litigation Division, on developing this program and making it a great success.”
How the Community Dispute Resolution Program Works
Under the Community Dispute Resolution Program, the parties initially attempt to mediate a settlement of the case directly with each other. If informal mediation directly between the parties is unsuccessful, the parties may elect to appear before a neutral mediator to present the claim. The neutral mediator, who may be a retired judge or attorney, will hear claims and conduct binding or non-binding mediation.
If the parties agree to binding mediation, the neutral mediator’s decision is final, and is not appealable or subject to judicial review. If the parties agree to non-binding mediation, the parties may agree to accept the award, or they may reject it and proceed with the court case.
The program’s new ceiling on all awards is $50,000. Individuals can participate in the mediation process with or without an attorney. Learn more about the program guidelines and how to apply on our website here. For more information, contact Tonia Robinson at (202) 724-6507.