ARTS ARBITRATION & MEDIATION Services

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What is Arts Arbitration and Mediation Services (AAMS)?

AAMS, a program of California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA), has provided alternative dispute resolution to artists and entertainers since 1980. The service has program offices in Berkeley 510-990-6030, Los Angeles 310-207-0001 and Sacramento 916-442-6210 who help artists throughout the state.

AAMS was the first alternative dispute resolution program in the country to specifically tailor its services for the arts and entertainment communities, as a natural extension of the organization's mission to provide preventative education and appropriate means of self help for artists, who often become involved in business arrangements without being fully informed of the legal consequences. CLA noticed that disputes involving artists, performers and arts organizations, while varied in legal content, may revolve around a set of central themes which would be foreign in the contexts of other dispute resolution programs. Recurring themes include the emotional issues involved with the content of artistic work, credit for work performed and the factors contributing to the production of the work.

What type of services does AAMS provide?

Mediation
Arbitration
Counseling
Conciliation
Meeting Facilitation
Training

What kind of disputes does it mediate?
While disputes with AAMS are generally arts-related, the organization's volunteer mediators have helped parties resolve many types of disputes, including:

Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright Ownership, Trade Secret
Payment or Credit for Work Provided/Performed
Damaged Artwork or Return of Artwork
Collaboration or Partnership
Contract or Fee Collection
Landlord-Tenant and Real Estate
Family Law, Co-Parenting, and Separation Issues
Neighbor Disputes
Barking Dogs

Please Note: AAMS staff are neutral and cannot give legal advice. Also, they cannot review completed arbitration forms for accuracy. If you wish to arrange a consultation with an attorney, you may contact the Lawyer Referral Service of California Lawyers for the Arts at 888-775-8995.

How are mediation sessions started? What's the process?

Usually, one party requests AAMS to contact the second party, and pays the case opening fee.
AAMS contacts the second party in order to explain the mediation process and invites them to consider it as a method for resolving the dispute.
Once AAMS obtains all parties' consent to schedule a mediation session, AAMS works with them to clarify the issues to be discussed, establishes agreement about who will attend and notifies the parties and mediators as to the date and time of the session.
After the mediation session, AAMS follows up each party and sends them an evaluation form.

How much does it cost?
The initiating party pays a non-refundable case opening fee. AAMS session fees are a flat rate paid individually by each party, and based on a sliding scale depending on household or organizational income. Please see our Fee Schedule below.More AAMS information:
SACRAMENTO MEDIATION CENTER
Arbitration Defined
Mediation Defined
Fee Schedule
AAMS sample clauses for contracts
Other AAMS resources (National and California resources)

AAMS services provided in Los Angeles County are made possible through major support from the Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Services through the California Dispute Resolution Programs Act.

Interested in joining our volunteer mediator and arbitrator panel?
All prospective mediator panelists must fill out an online questionnaire, or downloaded a paper version in Word or PDF format. Send your application questionnaire and a resume to:

San Francisco Bay Area mediator panel, please send the questionnaire by email.
Sacramento Area mediator panel please send the questionnaire by fax to 916-441-1170 or by email.
Southern California Area panel please send the questionnaire by email.

Please see our events calendar for upcoming AAMS trainings, and to receive information about training, sign up for our mailing list below.

California Lawyers for the Arts is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your donation is tax deductible as a charitable contribution to the fullest extent of the law.

The information provided on this website is not legal advice. You should consult with an attorney for individual advice regarding your legal matters.

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CALIFORNIA LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS

ARTS ARBITRATION & MEDIATION Services