Below are helpful ADR links and information during the Covid-19 crisis.
Zoom Rules & Procedures 2020
Zoom Mediation Resource and Reference Guide
Tips and Tricks for Online Mediations
Online Mediator Certification from Mediate.com
Dispute Resolution Resources from LearnToMediateOnline.com
Practice Resources from American Bar Association
Videos and Chats Available from Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN THE AGE OF CORONA
I’ve heard about Zoombombing, where someone enters a Zoom meeting uninvited and posts inappropriate content. How can a mediator help prevent Zoombombing?
Confidentiality is a critical component of mediation. Unfortunately, no place—or technology—to conduct a mediation is foolproof. Even in an in-person office setting, people may overhear confidential conversations (how many offices are completely soundproof?). Here are some steps that you, as the meeting creator, can use to lessen the odds of Zoombombing when setting up your virtual meeting:
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- Never post the link publically. Only share the Zoom invite via email or other private communications.
- Use a unique Zoom ID for each mediation.
- Activate the Zoom “meeting password” function.
- Create a Zoom waiting room, where participants wait until the mediator lets only those who are supposed to be present into the Zoom mediation (utilizing the waiting room feature requires all participants to create a Zoom account).
- Make sure that the “host only” screen share option is on (found in account settings).
- Once the mediation has started, lock the meeting (found in manage participants).
- If an uninvited person enters, the host can remove them from the meeting using the Participants Box by clicking the on the unwanted name > more > remove.
For Zoom, what if someone does not have a computer or insists on participating by phone?
When Zoom creates the invitation for the meeting, there is a dial-in number and meeting ID they can use to participate by phone (just like a conference call). If they have a smartphone and get email on their smartphone, they can still use that link to get the email and join by video or audio. *For those using a smartphone, the Zoom app must first be downloaded.
Here is another tip:
Meeting hosts can create an extra breakout room or two when you start. This will make it easy to move the lawyers into a separate room or to split folks out of a single room if needed. Click here for more information on breakout rooms.