If you want to learn about preparing for hurricane property damage mediations, please listen to the following podcast that was taped on Saturday, August 12, 2023 on the WWL Radio “All Thing Legal” show with attorneys Albert Nicaud and Doug Sunseri. In the podcast, Nicaud and Sunseri interview Professor Bobby Harges, a MAPS mediator (www.maps-adr.com), attorney, and a professor of law at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law about the following topics: What is a hurricane mediation? How to Prepare for a Hurricane Mediation Working with Your Lawyer at a Hurricane Damage Mediation How to ..read more

One of the common questions that we receive from those who have taken a Louisiana family mediation training course is, I am a Louisiana lawyer and I have been admitted to the Louisiana State Bar. What do I do now to register as a certified family mediator in Louisiana? I know that that topic was covered in the Mediation Training Company class, but I forgot how to do this. A variation of this question also comes from other professionals who have taken one of our classes. The professionals who are allowed to become family mediators in Louisiana are those professionals who have received a four y ..read more

What is required in order to become a mediator in Louisiana? If you have mediation training from another state and want to become a mediator in Louisiana, this blog is for you. There are three types of mediators in Louisiana, civil mediators, family mediators, and juvenile court mediators. Each type of mediation is governed by a different qualifications statute. Civil Mediation in Louisiana To become a civil mediator in Louisiana, there are no specific qualifications that must be met. In other words, the private practice of mediation in Louisiana is not regulated. Therefore, if you want to be ..read more

Prospective clients are always asking questions about the process of divorce mediation. This essay answers some of the questions that are frequently asked about the process. Q: I have heard about mediation. What is it? Mediation has become a popular tool in Louisiana for resolving disputes between individuals, and in families, groups, and organizations. It is a process whereby a neutral third party, the mediator, works with parties to a dispute to assist them in resolving their differences in a way that is agreeable to all parties. The mediation process reduces conflict between parties and he ..read more

By Bobby Marzine Harges 60 La. Bar Journal 212 (October November 2012) The way I used to love you Baby that's the way I hate you now ---Blues Great B.B. King An increasingly large number of parties who are litigating in family courts in Louisiana are not represented by attorneys. These “pro se” litigants either cannot afford the costs and fees normally associated with litigation or choose not to pay these costs and fees. Thus, they decide to handle their issues in family court themselves without direct representation by attorneys. As a result, these litigants will usually appear before a priva ..read more

43 La. B.J. 142 Louisiana Bar Journal August, 1995 Feature THE ABCS OF EFFECTIVE ADR Ten Practical Tips for Representing Clients in Mediations Bobby Marzine Harges Copyright (c) 1995 by the Louisiana State Bar Association; Bobby Marzine Harges WESTLAW LAWPRAC INDEX AMS -- Arbitration/Mediation/Settlement/Other Forms of ADR Thorough preparation is the key to effective representation of a client in a mediation. Here are 10 practical tips for representing clients who are mediating disputes. 1 Educate Yourself About the Process Before going to a mediation, the lawyer should know what mediation is ..read more

62 La. B.J. 186 Louisiana Bar Journal October/November, 2014 Feature MEDIATING FAMILY AND DIVORCE CASES IN LOUISIANA Charles N. Branton a1 Pamela N. Breedlove a2 Bobby Marzine Harges a3 Copyright © 2014 by Louisiana Bar Journal; Charles N. Branton, Pamela N. Breedlove, Bobby Marzine Harges *187 Mediation has become a popular tool for resolving child custody and visitation disputes in Louisiana. The mediation of these types of disputes reduces conflict between parents and helps them to communicate more effectively when they are resolving disputes and when their disputes end.1 Mediation allows ..read more

Mississippi ADR Update by Professor Bobby Harges Loyola University New Orleans College of Law 7214 St. Charles Avenue, CB 901 New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 www.maps-adr.com harges@loyno.edu 1. Entities Can Consent to an Arbitration Agreement 2. Arbitration Clause Invalid After Breaks in Employment 3. Arbitration Agreement is Enforceable Absent Mutuality of Obligation 4. An Incapacitated Nursing Home Resident Not Bound by the Arbitration Agreed to by His Wife 5. The FAA Governs Nursing Home Admission Agreements 6. Arbitrator’s Award is Within the Essence of the CBA 7. Res Judicata Defense is an ..read more

46 La. B.J. 100 Louisiana Bar Journal August, 1998 Feature BLUEPRINT FOR EFFECTIVE ADR Mediation Advocacy in the Wake of the Louisiana Mediation Act Bobby Marzine Harges a1 Copyright (c) 1998 by the Louisiana State Bar Association; Bobby Marzine Harges During the 1997 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the Legislature enacted House Bill No. 2347, the Louisiana Mediation Act (La. R.S. 9:4101 through 4112). The purpose of the Louisiana Mediation Act (the Act) is to provide encouragement and support for the use of mediation to promote settlement of legal disputes. The Act promotes the ..read more

One of the frequently asked questions about mediation is, “How do I become a mediator?” This entry discusses how to become a mediator in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. How to Become a Family Mediator in Louisiana La. Rev. Stat. §9:334 discusses what is necessary to become a qualified family mediator in Louisiana. It is important that the statute does not discuss how to become “certified mediator” because Louisiana does not certify. Under this statute, professionals who are licensed need 40 hours of training. That is basically five 8 hour days of mediation training that will cost abo ..read more