Hastings to Haiti Hosts Virtual Mediation Training

Between May 20 – 25, 2021, UC Law SF hosted a virtual Mediation Training for students and lawyers involved in its Hastings to Haiti Partnership (HHP). Hosting online was a challenge, but our professors, students, and staff managed the technical challenges and translation issues expertly. Participants joined from our partner law school ESCDROJ, the US Embassy in Haiti, and BDHH (a human rights law organization).

So many people from Hastings helped make the training happen! Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) staff assisted with coaching exercises, Hastings students assisted with French-English translation, and Hastings staff supported the technical aspects. Professors Betsy Candler and Kate Block worked especially hard to make the event a success, with their patient teaching and depth of expertise.  A special thanks also to Jessica Vapnek in our Global Programs, and Clinical Professors Mai Linh Spencer, Carol Izumi, and Gail Silverstein for their support and knowledge.

Participants were hugely grateful for the training, sharing how much they learned, and expressing their gratitude for our work supporting Haiti’s democracy. They identified a large range of issues that could benefit from mediation, from landlord-tenant issues to family cases, and even hope to implement some Restorative Justice practices in criminal law cases. We look forward to hosting our Haitian partners in person in the future!

About The Hastings to Haiti Partnership

The HHP advances the rule of law and promotes human rights in Haiti by supporting the country’s legal education and engaging in human rights advocacy. HHP represents a collaboration of UC Law SF and the École Supérieure Catholique de Droit de Jérémie (ESCDROJ), the only law school in Haiti dedicated to preparing students to serve the public interest. Since 1999, HHP has sent annual delegations of UC Law SF faculty and students to our sister school in Haiti, and we have also hosted several delegations of Haitian lawyers and students in San Francisco.