OC Professor of Communication attends mediation training hosted by the Oklahoma Supreme Court

David Lowry trained at a week-long conference in January to learn how to mediate conflicts to help individuals avoid court.

January 14, 2020 - Last week, OC Professor of Communication David Lowry had the opportunity to attend training for Oklahoma County’s Alternative Dispute Resolution System using Early Settlement Mediation. The training is hosted by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. This mediation program teaches volunteers how to explore solutions and solve conflict through mutually satisfactory agreements as a neutral third-party. 

Oklahoma is one of the leaders in Alternative Dispute Resolution, offering training programs every year to teach people about conflict resolution. This system was created from the Small Claims Court, as the courts became clogged with time-consuming and often unnecessary cases. After the training, mediators will have the knowledge to prevent the escalation of conflicts and save clients money by cutting out the expenses of the courtroom. 

Lowry, who has a background in communication in conflict, peacemaking and conflict resolution, has a passion for this program. 

“These are ordinary people, from all walks of life, coming together and trying to learn how to handle conflicts and disputes,” Lowry said. “I have a great passion for [this program], but I also believe that this is an important service; [it is] a way of giving back to the community and following my vision of my personal faith.”

Lowry added that last year there were 7,000 family cases in Oklahoma County, but only 2,000 were processed through mediation due to the lack of volunteers. However, 70% of those cases were settled or partially settled, which dramatically reduced courtroom needs and thus proves the importance of the mediation program.

OC Chief Human Resources Officer Terry Winn is also an early settlement mediator and one of 15 advisory board members in Oklahoma. One of his jobs is to report back to the Supreme Court, a premiere operation of the courts.

Lowry’s training and experience will soon have a positive benefit for OC students. He hopes to form a student groupon on campus who also have a passion for social justice and conflict resolution and are willing to complete the necessary training to become mediators. Currently, Lowry hosts a peacemaking podcast and is writing a peacemaking textbook based on his experiences in mediation. The textbook is under a contract with a leading publisher, Kendall Hunt Publishing. 

For more information on Lowry’s peacemaking work, visit his podcast website here.

If you are interested in early settlement mediation training, visit the Oklahoma Supreme Court website here.