Where did the requirements for court-approved mediators originate?
The Dispute Resolution Act, K.S.A. 5-501, et seq., mandates the appointment of a director of dispute resolution and an advisory council. The act requires that the Supreme Court set forth mediator standards and ethics upon the recommendations of the council and director. The council conducted an extensive study into national standards and ethics for mediators. They also considered the current landscape in Kansas and solicited ideas from Heartland Mediators Association, the KBA, and members of the former Supreme Court Committee on ADR. The ethics requirements are a slightly modified version of ethics developed by the American Bar Association, Society of Professionals In Dispute Resolution, and the American Arbitration Association.
