Our 4.29 Alternative Dispute Resolution Center was founded during the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest, with a focus on working with diverse ethnic populations of LA County and helping cases out of California’s overloaded court system.
Our bilingual mediators have successfully closed over a thousand cases in the past decade by providing efficient and cuturally appropriate means of resolving disputes in both English and Korean.
Mediation is an effective, nonbinding, out-of-court method by which disputing parties can communicate, negotiate, and settle disputes privately, without the burden of time-consuming and costly legal action.
Mediators assist disputing parties in arriving at a mutually acceptable agreement. Each party has a chance to express their side of the story to the other person. If the dispute is not settled during the sessions, the parties can still proceed with the matter in court.
Our mediators are neutral, trained, and certified staff and volunteers. Mediators do not judge or decide the case, or give legal advice.
Mediation is a confidential process that can help salvage an ongoing relationship. Parties are given the opportunity to be heard and communicate directly with the opposing party under the supervision of a mediator.
There are also financial benefits. The mediation process is far more economical than litigation. Parties are more likely to collect any money due when the other party voluntarily agrees to pay. Moreover, mediation is a way to resolve a problem without having one’s credit rating threatened.
Lastly, the mediation session belongs to the parties; either party can choose to leave the mediation process at any time.
KAC’s mediation services are free of charge to LA County residents that demonstrate economic need.
Since 1998, the 4.29 ADR Center has been funded in part by Los Angeles County Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS). Funding is also provided by our generous supporters: Kim Yong Hwan Foundation, Open Stewardship Foundation (Open Bank), the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA), and Weingart Foundation.
