metro

Mediation from page 22

campaign, adds, "Nina is a tireless
champion for mediation, and that
comes from long experience and train-
ing. She knows the shortcomings of
adversarial dispute resolution and the
benefits of collaborating to find solu-
tions. Getting that message to the public
is her passion, and she's succeeding:'
Abrams is busy. In addition to
co-chairing Michigan Mediates, she
conducts mediation at the Wayne,
Oakland and Macomb Community
Dispute Resolution Program centers.
She is also the finance co-chair for the
Jewish Women's Foundation.
"I've been doing mediation for more
than 25 years:' she says. "I love multi-
party cases — putting eight people in
a room together and saying, 'We can
do this: I also like doing family cases.
My job is to facilitate and sometimes
to keep the temperature down in the
meeting:'
Abrams grew up in Flint. She
earned an M.B.A. from the University
of Michigan and a law degree from
Loyola University in Chicago. Early in
her career, she had an internship to
become a labor/management arbitra-
tor, before choosing family law as her
specialty.

Campaign Goals
The Michigan Mediates campaign has
several goals, including highlighting
alternatives to litigation, explaining
how to resolve disputes peacefully and
less expensively, identifying commu-
nity needs for specialized programs,
reducing court expenses when a viable
alternative to litigation is available, and
overcoming resistance to alternative
dispute resolution.
"The urban myth is that mediation
takes work away from lawyers," she
says. "The reality is they're going to
settle in 98 percent of the civil cases
anyway."
The campaign has included inter-
views, articles in newspapers and
professional journals, public service
announcements, advertisements,
events and the launch of a website.
Grants and donations sustain the
campaign. A Department of Education
grant funds the training of special edu-
cation mediators. A U.S. Department
of Agriculture grant helps with the
administration of an agriculture-based
mediation program.
Abrams notes that you don't have to
be an attorney to be a mediator.
"Mediators could be rabbis, retirees

— anyone," she says. Mediator train-
ing is conducted by the Community
Dispute Resolution Centers and
the Institute of Continuing Legal
Education. "There has been so much
neurological research in how people
think, act and communicate that hav-
ing the training to use that research
helps people reach a settlement," she
says. All of Michigan's law schools also
have courses in alternative dispute
resolution.
Serving as a mediator has its
rewards, says Abrams.
"I take a lot of pleasure when the
case ends with happy crying and hug-
ging," she says. "People usually come
in fairly prepared for mediation. They
have their dream goals, what they want
to accomplish and what they're willing
to live with. Even if you don't settle,
you at least have the issues stated in a
clearer matter:'
Michigan Mediates has developed a
website that explains mediation, where
it can be useful, mediation solutions for
families, businesses, seniors and farm-
ers, in addition to suggestions on where
to find a mediator and how to donate
to support the campaign. The address:
www.MichiganMediates.net.

Cantor Lanzkron-Tamarazo
Leads Beth Shalom Services
Cantor Frank Lanzkron-
Tamarazo will lead holiday
services again this year for
Congregation Beth Shalom in
Oak Park and three Shabbat
services each month.
He is a graduate of the
Miller Cantorial School
Cantor Frank
of the Jewish Theological
Lanzkron-
Seminary and served three
Tamarazo
congregations before coming
to Adat Shalom Synagogue in
Farmington Hills. Later, he started Congregation
Hava Nashira and has led High Holiday services
for the Downtown Synagogue.
Cantor Frank is also the owner and master
roaster of Chazzano Coffee Roasters in Ferndale.
He recently founded God and Coffee Consulting
to help new business owners grow their busi-
nesses and their lives.
He has been active with many professional
organizations, including past president of the
Michigan Board of Cantors, and serves on
the board of directors for the Ferndale Area
Chamber of Commerce and the South Oakland
YMCA.
Cantor Frank is now an author with his first
book, God Cries and An Angel Loses its Wings.

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