Lawyers' preparation for Court-Connected Mediation: The Supreme Court of Tasmania

This article reports findings from a study of lawyers' preparation for court-connected mediation at the Supreme Court of Tasmania. Interviews with legal practitioners were undertaken during 2006 and 2007. The findings are contextualised within the court's programme and compared with empirical research findings from other studies. The data demonstrated a clear need for better guidelines and education of lawyers about their role in preparing themselves and their clients for mediation. Most lawyers prepared reasonably thoroughly for the mediation process, however gaps were identified in terms of consideration of the non-legal issues affecting the client and other party. Many lawyers effectively narrowed the potential of court-connected mediation by taking a litigation approach to their preparation for the process.