~ THE AUSTIN DRC HISTORY

MISSION

The Dispute Resolution Center is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides and promotes accessible, high-quality dispute resolution services for all people in the Travis County area. View the Board Of Directors.

PHILOSOPHY

At the Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) we believe:

• People in our diverse community can best be served through a diverse organization.

• People can resolve their own disputes, and the DRC can encourage resolution by providing trained volunteers who are impartial.

• People who develop their own resolutions are more likely to do what they have agreed to do.

• People can use the experience gained at the DRC to resolve future disputes.

History

The Dispute Resolution Center was founded in 1983 with seed money provided by the Austin Young Lawyers Association, pursuant to legislation enacted that year (Texas Civil Practices & Remedies Code 154.052). This statute allows DRC's to be organized in all of the larger population centers in Texas. It specifies the minimum education requirements for mediators, allows a surcharge on civil suit filing fees and creates the ADR Fund as a revenue source for these DRC's.

Funding

The DRC in Austin operates as an independent nonprofit in our community. We have a small paid staff, 100 volunteer mediators, a volunteer Board of Directors and a volunteer Advisory Board. Our volunteer mediators come from all parts of the community and from a wide variety of backgrounds; about twenty percent (20%) are attorneys. Approximately fifty percent (50%) of our revenue comes from the Travis County ADR Fund and the other half comes from training services, grants, fund raising, and client fees. Client fees are nominal, but help encourage the disputing parties to commit to the mediation process. These fees are never a barrier to services and are reduced or waived when appropriate.