The Quinnipiac University School of Law’s Center On Dispute Resolution has received certification from the United States Department of Agriculture to establish and operate the Connecticut Agricultural Mediation Program on its North Haven Campus. The program is designed to resolve disputes between the USDA and program participants before going to official administrative appeals.
The Center on Dispute Resolution worked with state Department of Agriculture Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky and Farm Services Agency State Director Bryan Hurlburt to bring the program to Connecticut. The Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 authorized the secretary of agriculture to help states develop and participate in the mediation programs through matching grants.
The mediation services will be at no cost to agricultural producers, creditors and other people affected by USDA actions to help them reach mutually agreeable settlement of their disputes in a confidential setting. In addition to providing mediation services, state agricultural mediation programs also provide conflict resolution training and education to farmers, agri-businesses, local officials and state and federal agencies.
“Dispute resolution programs like this have been highly successful in other states and I welcome the opportunity to work with the law school at Quinnipiac to provide services to Connecticut’s agricultural community,” Reviczky said.
Quinnipiac’s Center on Dispute Resolution focuses on integrating the theory and practice of dispute resolution. Since 1998, the center has created opportunities for both dispute resolution professionals and law students to engage in dialogue and attend training to develop knowledge and skills in this growing field. Quinnipiac’s dispute resolution program was named 15th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2016 Best Graduate School rankings.
