Certification Requirements
In Virginia, mediators may be certified pursuant to the Guidelines for the Training and Certification of Court-Referred Mediators established by the Judicial Council of Virginia. You must have earned a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree to qualify for certification as a court-referred mediator in Virginia. You may apply for a waiver of this requirement by submitting a letter to Dispute Resolution Services, describing your relevant work and life experience. The letter must be accompanied by a resume and two letters of recommendation that address your oral and written communication skills. Additional information may be requested. If certification is your objective, you should seek a waiver prior to beginning mediation training.
Mediators may be certified in six categories: General District Court (GDC), Circuit Court-Civil (CCC), Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (J&DR), Circuit Court-Family (CCF), Appellate – Family (APF) and Appellate – Civil (APC). Some mediators have multiple certifications.
Following is a brief description of the certification requirements. Please see the Guidelines for the Training and Certification of Court-Referred Mediators for a more detailed description of the requirements.