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Mark Kramer
Mark Kramer

Associate Mediator

Associate MediatorThis mediator has at least 40 hours of mediation training, has mediated at least 10 cases for at least 40 hours, agrees to take part in at least 12 hours per year of continuing mediation education, and subscribes to Mediate.com's required standards of mediation practice..Premium Member

Mark Kramer

Mark graduated with honors from Cornell University and then received his law degree from Northeastern University. He is listed in Who’s Who in American Law.

Mark is an attorney-mediator.    Prior to his mediation practice, he specialized in family law and civil litigation – including personal injury, civil rights, and employment cases – for more than 40 years. As a skilled litigator recognized throughout Oregon, he helped thousands of clients reach fair and reasonable settlements.  As an attorney, Mark has more than 35 years of trial experience and extensive experience in family law issues ranging from adoption and contested custody to grandparent and psychological parent rights.

Mark has served as a pro-tem judge for the Multnomah County Circuit Court. As co-counsel for the Oregon State Judiciary Committee and in private practice, Mark drafted family law legislation that is now Oregon law. Mark is the author of several articles about family law and is a frequent speaker on the subjects of grandparent and psychological parent rights.

Mark is married to a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has two adult sons. When not in the courtroom, Mark is an avid cyclist and a yoga enthusiast. He is also a member of the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble (pjce.org), whose emission is to spur the commission and performance of original jazz works in Portland and beyond.

ADR Experience

I have served as a pro-tem judge and as an arbitrator for the Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Approach

I offer participants  a structured and supportive environment to explore and resolve their issues and provide them with the tools from my legal toolkit so that each participant understands their rights and options within the legal system.  At the request of participants I will offer predictive outcomes based on my 40 years of legal experience in the event that the parties are unable to resolve their dispute and elect to proceed to court.

Introduction: I will explain the mediation process and the roles and responsibilities of the parties.    This is often done in a group setting, but it can be done individually.

Opening statements: Each party will have the opportunity to make an opening statement to explain their perspective on the dispute.    This is optional, and if you choose not to do this, it will not affect the success of the mediation.

Individual Breakout Sessions:    I will usually meet with each party in a private session to discuss the dispute further, identify concerns and interests, and to explore options for resolution.

Joint sessions: In some cases, I will meet with the parties in a joint session to discuss the dispute and identify the issues that need to be resolved. This usually happens after a few individual sessions with each party.

Negotiation: I will work with each party, individually and jointly, to negotiate an agreement that addresses concerns and interests.

Arbitration Option: Participants will have the option to use the mediator in an arbitration role to allow the mediator to serve as an arbitrator to resolve specific issues in dispute. Both parties must agree to this option and also agree that the decision made in this process is binding and not subject to appeal.

Closure: If an agreement is reached, I will help you to formalize the agreement in a written document.  If you do not have an attorney, I can help you prepare the essential legal documents, help you file them with the court, and ensure they are signed and effective. If no agreement is reached, you may consider other options for resolving the dispute, such as arbitration or litigation.

Education

Mark graduated with honors from Cornell University and then received his law degree from Northeastern University

Areas Of Practice

  • Accidents
  • Adoption
  • Appellate
  • Civil (general)
  • Civil Rights (discrimination)
  • Civil Union Dissolution
  • Contracts
  • Divorce (all issues)
  • Divorce (parenting)
  • General
  • Legal Malpractice
  • LGBTQ
  • Medical Malpractice
  • Online Mediation
  • Personal Injury
  • Restorative (Criminal)
  • Sexual Harrassment
  • Small Claims
  • Victim - Offender

Additional Services

  • Arbitrator
  • Mediating Lawyer
  • Online Arbitrator

Mediations

19

Liability Insurance

  • Yes

ADR Training

  • A Mediation Renaissance Online Mediation and The Future Skills, Strategies & Issues - By Mediate.com
  • Basic Mediation Training - 40 Hour - By Clackamas County Resolution Services
  • Domestic Relations Custody & Parenting Time Mediation Training - By Multnomah County Family Resolution Services (To be Completed April 2023)

Professional Associations

  • Oregon State Bar
  • Oregon Mediation Association
  • Oregon Academy of Family Law Professionals
  • Multnomah Bar Association
  • National Lawyers Guild

Publications & Presentations

  • Challenging DHS Abuse Assessments An article first published in the August 2019 Family Law Newsletter of the Oregon State Bar.
  • Parents in Juvenile Court - The Challenges of Intervention in Juvenile Court ORS 419B.116 An article first published in the Spring 2018 Family Law Newsletter of the Oregon State Bar.
  • Grandparent and Psychological Parent Rights - Rights and Remedies A comprehensive outline of grandparent and psychological parent rights in Oregon and legal issues between legal parents and third parties
  • Grandparent and Psychological Parent Rights in Oregon after Troxel A comprehensive review and digest of all Oregon Supreme Court and Oregon Court of Appeals opinions that have addressed grandparent and psychological parent rights in Oregon.
  • What About the Children? - The Rise and Fall of the Best Interests Standard in Third Party Custody and Visitation Cases. An article about the challenges faced by children and those advocating for children due to the changing legal standards governing when children are placed in the care of third parties. First published in the June 2012 Family Law Newsletter of the Oregon State Bar.
  • A Life Deferred, The Odyssey of Blanca Catt: The story of Mark Kramer's representation of a young Mexican-American woman who was almost deported due to the negligence of Oregon's Department of Human Services. Originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of Trial Lawyer magazine, the quarterly journal of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association.
  • Stalking Protective Orders (SPOs): Getting Them and Getting Rid of Them - An outline of stalking orders and procedures. Presented at the Oregon State Bar, Family Law Section, Annual Conference at Salishan Oregon in October 2010.
  • Stalking Protective Orders (SPOs): Getting Them and Getting Rid of Them - An outline of stalking orders and procedures. Presented at the Oregon State Bar, Family Law Section, Annual Conference at Salishan Oregon in October 2010
  • So You Got Your Judgment, Now What? Enforcing Judgments and Orders Through Contempt, Garnishment, and Other Remedies. An outline of contempt and enforcing judgment rights and remedies. Presented at the Oregon State Bar, Family Law Section Annual Conference at Salishan, Oregon, in October 2006.

References

  • The Hon. Keith Raines
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