The Small Claims Mediation Clinic: Second-and third-year law students are eligible to participate in the Marquette University Law School Small Claims Mediation Clinic in collaboration with the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Small Claims Division, and the Waukesha County Circuit Court, Small Claims Court. The clinic starts with an intensive weekend mediation training program. Every Monday morning throughout the rest of the semester, the students enter the world of real-life disputes brought before Commissioners in Small Claims Court. Students under the supervision of an experienced mediator, mediate cases in the courtroom or by zoom. Cases typically last two hours, and at the end of the morning the students meet as a group with the supervising faculty member and the supervising mediators to debrief and discuss their experiences.
The Small Claims Mediation Clinic helps students understand the dynamics of disputes, illustrating the complexities inherent in human interaction better than any textbook. Students develop listening and problem solving skills, which provide alternatives to litigation.
You can reach the Mediation Clinic via email at mediationclinic@marquette.edu.