The Office of Dispute Resolution is hereby established in the office of the State Court Administrator. The director of the office shall be hired by the Supreme Court. The director may but need not be an attorney and shall be hired on the basis of his or her training and experience in mediation, restorative justice, and dispute resolution. The director shall administer the Dispute Resolution Act and shall serve as staff to the council.
§ 25-2904.Office of Dispute Resolution; established; director; qualifications; duties.
Article 29: Dispute Resolution Act and Uniform Mediation Act · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceSection 25-2904 creates the Office of Dispute Resolution inside the State Court Administrator’s office, requires the Supreme Court to hire a director chosen for training and experience in mediation and restorative justice, and charges that director with administering the act and staffing the council.
Full Text of § 25-2904
Source
Laws 1991, LB 90, § 4; Laws 2019, LB595, § 4.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-2904 places the Office of Dispute Resolution inside the office of the State Court Administrator, making it part of the judicial branch’s own administrative structure rather than a stand-alone agency.
The Supreme Court hires the director who leads the office. The statute does not require the director to be an attorney — mediation and restorative justice draw on skills beyond legal training — but it does require the Supreme Court to hire on the basis of training and experience in mediation, restorative justice, and dispute resolution.
Two duties fall to the director by name here: administering the Dispute Resolution Act as a whole, and serving as staff to the Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution created in section 25-2905. Section 25-2908 spells out the director’s other duties in far more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Office of Dispute Resolution sit within Nebraska’s court system?
It is established within the office of the State Court Administrator.
Who hires the director of the Office of Dispute Resolution?
The Supreme Court.
Must the director be a lawyer?
No. The statute says the director may but need not be an attorney; hiring turns instead on training and experience in mediation, restorative justice, and dispute resolution.
What two duties does § 25-2904 assign the director directly?
Administering the Dispute Resolution Act and serving as staff to the Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution.
Where can I find the director’s full list of responsibilities?
Section 25-2908 lists the director’s duties in detail.
Why is the mediation office housed within the courts rather than run independently?
The statute places it inside the State Court Administrator’s office, which ties the office directly to the judicial branch that refers cases into mediation and restorative justice programs.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: Office of Dispute Resolution Nebraskadirector qualifications mediation Nebraskawho runs Nebraska dispute resolution officestate court administrator mediation officesection 25-2904 director duties