Testimonials
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….Geri Green who was our mediator over the course of three sessions, and a period of weeks, who managed a contentious process with skill, heart and good humor. I would use her again in a heart beat!” – David
I remain impressed with the way Ms. Green approaches any situation with professionalism, civility, and compassion. She is committed, fair and thorough, allowing all parties to feel safe and heard. In one instance, I watched as Ms. Green adeptly handled an emotionally charged litigated dispute involving numerous staff members and students. With her steady hand working the situation over the course of weeks, she was able to instill trust, calm all parties, and lead them to a peaceful resolution. I have also observed her ability to handle those suffering with mental health conditions rendering them overly cautious and suspicious. She has a deep understanding of how to communicate and calm even the most challenged, while also managing the needs and expectations of lawyers allowing even the most adverse parties to come to an understanding and resolution.” – Elise
I recently had an occasion to mediate a dispute with Geri Green. It turned out to be a very emotionally charged mediation where the parties had been at odds for decades over deep‐seeded trauma. The mediation was complicated by the fact one participant exhibited signs of dementia. This challenging situation gave me an opportunity to observe Ms. Green’s professionalism and skill as a neutral. It was clear that she has the calm hand and the patience necessary to help people work through their emotions so as to move beyond past traumas in order to find resolution. Her work with the party suffering with dementia evidenced her empathy and compassion, as well as deep understanding of human nature. Ms. Green’s passion for her work as a mediator and consensus builder is evident in everything she does. That coupled with her knowledge and skill in handling conflict makes her extremely effective at bringing parties to resolution. . . . . The participants were incredibly happy and very appreciative over the fact that they were finally able to communicate with one another after 30 years of dysfunction, anger, and separation. It was a truly amazing experience for everyone.” – Michael
As Director of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Neighborhood Courts Program I have witnessed Ms. Green’s professionalism, dedication, and communal leadership. By way of background, Neighborhood Courts are an innovative model for keeping low-level offenders from entering the criminal justice system. The program is designed to resolve cases efficiently, create community driven solutions to crime, reduce the burden on our courts, and reduce recidivism. Trained community members adjudicate criminal matters using mediation and restorative justice techniques and methods. The program was identified as a 2015 Innovation in Criminal Justice by the United States Department of Justice/Bureau of Justice Assistance, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, and the Center for Court Innovation. Ms. Green has been an active regular volunteer on our panel of adjudicators for more than five years and her talents have contributed immensely, enabling the program to thrive and be successful.
Ms. Green’s wisdom and vast legal knowledge earned over her 35 years of work in criminal and civil litigation allows her to skillfully engage in the resolution process. Her innate and learned understanding of mental illness, substance abuse, and cross-cultural issues provides her the ability to artfully negotiate the often very challenging and emotionally charged situations presented in our courts. She is fair, thorough, and she addresses every situation as unique, even the most mundane, exhibiting her curiosity and passion for understanding the human condition. She is dedicated to finding the best resolution for the participants, community and victims and is extremely creative in finding the right fit in her design of directives for the offender/participant.
Ms. Green exhibits dedication and commitment to the process of alternative dispute resolution. From the beginning of her tenure with our court, she has not only demonstrated her own abilities as a neutral, but her passion for ADR, encouraging innovation in conflict resolution to include employment in the criminal context, as well as supporting training and education for collaborative processes. In addition to her active involvement with our program, she started volunteering with Community Boards, our training partner, gained a place on the board of directors, and ultimately became Board President. As such, she worked tirelessly as a champion of ADR in the legal community by being an ambassador for our program and working to pass legislation to increase Dispute Resolution Program Act funds that fund our program as well as other ADR programs in San Francisco and throughout the state.” – Jackson