Welcome to
Early Settlement Mediation!

Please click on the interactive map below
to locate your regional program
ok-county-map harper woods woodward major dewey blaine kingfisher caddo canadian grady cimarron texas beaver alfalfa grant kay osage washington nowata ellis garfield noble pawnee tulsa roger mills logan payne creek okmulgee beckham custer oklahoma lincoln okfuskee mcintosh harmon greer kiowa washita comanche mcclain cleveland pott. seminole hughes pittsburg haskell jackson tillman cotton stephens garvin pontotoc coal atoka pushmataha latimer jefferson carter murray love marshall johnston bryan choctaw craig ottawa rogers mayes delaware wagoner cherokee adair muskogee sequoyah leflore mccurtain

Introduction

The Alternative Dispute Resolution System in Oklahoma is made up of thirteen (13) regional Early Settlement Mediation Centers (including one (1) municipal program) which provide FREE mediation services all 77 counties in Oklahoma. There are fourteen (14) State Agencies with programs offering specialized mediation services. The Alternative Dispute Resolution System was authorized (1983) and funded (1985) by the state legislature through the Oklahoma Dispute Resolution Act, 12 O.S. Supp. 1997, § 1801 et seq. The Administrative Director of the Courts administers and supervises the Alternative Dispute Resolution System through a designated, State Director, with the ongoing input of the Dispute Resolution Advisory Board.

Alternative Dispute Resolution System
News and Happenings

Statewide 2024 Volunteer of the Year! Russ Cochran is an Alabama native who lives in Midwest City, Oklahoma with his wife Jeannie. Russ is a military veteran and (semi-retired) attorney practicing in the state of Oklahoma. Russ has been a volunteer mediator with Early Settlement since 2022 and in addition to serving as a mediator, he fills the role of friend, mentor, and comedian. Russ serves on the Dispute Resolution Advisory Board representing retired citizen organizations. He has been a volunteer mediator for 3 years and has mediated 280 cases. Russ has volunteered over 642 hours to the Early Settlement – Oklahoma County Program.
40 Years of Service! Ted Roberts has been involved with the Alternative Dispute Resolution System for over 40 years in some capacity.  Ted has served on the Dispute Resolution Advisory Board since 1988 and prior to that he was instrumental in building the framework for the statewide Early Settlement Mediation program.  During his time as the City of Norman Municipal Judge Ted promoted the use of the Early Settlement program. Ted truly has a servant’s heart and has served many years as the Chairman of the Dispute Resolution Advisory Board. 
Early Settlement Volunteer Mediator Conference! The Volunteer Mediator Conference was held recently at Metro Technology in Oklahoma City. It’s an annual event that brings volunteer mediators from across Oklahoma together for a day of learning, food, & fellowship. The Early Settlement Directors are instrumental in organizing and help making the event successful each year.
(L to R Back Row) Tim Scott, Stacey Foster, Tylnn Childress, LeiLani Armstrong, Julie Easley, Jay Irby, Stacy Horner, & Ever Vidana. (L to R Front Row) Sarah Head, Phil Johnson, Jorjia Cash, Lauren O’Brien, Regan Glinton, Maggie Griffith, & Jaxie Johnston. A special thanks to Jaxie, Sarah, & Jorji for their hard work on the photo booth backdrop!
Mongolian Judge Delegation! The Administrative Office of the Courts hosted a delegation of judges from Mongolia recently. A question & answer session was held to give them an overview of the various programs, including Early Settlement Mediation, Court Interpreters, and e-filing in our courts. Phil Johnson, State Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution System presented the group with lapel pins.
Oklahoma Bar Journal Publication! The March issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal features an article about the Alternative Dispute Resolution System and the Early Settlement Mediation Programs written by State Director, Phil Johnson. Also included in the issue are articles by two (2) other Early Settlement Mediation Volunteer Mediators, former Judge Jequita Napoli and Mike Mayberry, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Ag Mediation Program. Here is the link for the Alternative Dispute Resolution article:
https://www.okbar.org/barjournal/march-2025/early-settlement-mediation/
Formal Swearing-In Ceremony! Justice John Kane IV recently swore in Justice Dustin P. Rowe as the New Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court recently at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Justice Rowe will serve two years in the role as Chief Justice.
Chief Justice Dustin P. Rowe!  Members of the Dispute Resolution Advisory Board had the opportunity to listen to the new Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court talk to them recently.  Justice Rowe has been a longtime supporter of the Early Settlement Mediation program, which is recognized as one of the top community-based court-connected conflict resolution programs in the nation.
Past President’s Award! Current Early Settlement Directors’ Association President, Stacy Horner, presented past President Sarah Head with an award for her service as the President last year. The Early Settlement Directors’ Association is made up of the Early Settlement Directors’ from across the state.
Cleveland County Bar Association! Central Program Director, Tylnn Childress, and State Director, Phil Johnson, recently spoke to the Cleveland County Bar Association in Norman about the statewide Early Settlement Mediation program and more specifically about the Early Settlement – Central program.
January Family Training! Several volunteer mediators from across the state braved the cold January weather to attend the Family Mediation training at the University of Oklahoma Law School. In FY 2024, the Early Settlement Mediation programs received over 1,500 family and divorce mediation requests.
The Verdict!  Phil Johnson, State Director, appeared on “The Verdict” television show recently with former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett to share about the Early Settlement Mediation programs and the FREE mediation services the programs provide to the people across Oklahoma!
Dispute Resolution Advisory Board!  Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Yvonne Kauger administered the loyalty oath of office to the fiscal year 2025 Dispute Resolution Advisory Board recently. The 15-member board is made up of representatives from various state agencies, the judiciary, law enforcement, and community groups and serve in an advisory capacity to the State Director and the courts leadership.  
FY 2025 Dispute Resolution Advisory Board with Justice Yvonne Kauger
Directors’ Summit!  It’s always great to kick-off the new fiscal year with the Early Settlement team members from across the state.  The Early Settlement Mediation program, a program supported by the Administrative Office of the Courts, is recognized as one of the top community-based, court-connected, programs in the nation.  The programs received over 5,800 referrals for FREE mediation services.
Oklahoma City University School of Law! Lauren Craig O’Brien, Associate State Director and the Early Settlement Mediation – Oklahoma County Program Director, and Phil Johnson, State Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution System recently spoke to Professor Connie Smothermon’s law class about the nationally recognized Early Settlement Mediation program. The law students were encouraged to participate in the student extern mediation program.
Early Settlement Mediation Program Directors! The annual Volunteer Mediator Conference was held recently at Metro Technology Center in Oklahoma City and over 100 volunteer mediators from across the state attended the event. The Early Settlement Program Directors helped host the annual event which includes a full-day of presentations and a FREE luncheon to honor the volunteers mediators. These Directors were instrumental in helping organize the conference as well as making presentations.