Cairns lawyer awarded mediation training scholarship

Queensland Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D’Ath has awarded four Queenslanders with scholarships to be trained in mediation with the Queensland Government’s Dispute Resolution Branch.

Among the four recipients of the Jack Cranstoun Scholarship is Cairns lawyer Julia Maurus, who is hoping contribute more to her community.

Ms Maurus said she was thrilled to receive the scholarship.

“Alternative dispute resolution is an important part of legal practice, so I have always been keen to learn more about mediation,” she said.

“I am delighted that the scholarship caters for young professionals in regional Queensland, to the extent that I can even undertake mediation training here in Cairns.

“I expect it will provide excellent networking opportunities and give me new problem-solving strategies and communication skills that I can use every day.”

She said she hoped to apply her new mediation skills to issues involving remote Torres Strait Islander communities, where she works as in-house counsel for the Torres Strait Island Regional Council.

“The region faces various challenges, and being able to "think outside the box" to develop models that are appropriate to each community is a real asset to any project team,” she said.

“I want to be the best lawyer I can be so that I can contribute to the communities in which I work and live.”

Mrs D’Ath awarded Ms Maurus with her scholarship at a ceremony in Brisbane this week.

Mrs D’Ath said it was great to see these young people take an interest in mediation.

“Mediators provide an invaluable service for Queenslanders in helping to settle disputes,” she said.

“With a success rate of around 85 per cent, mediators save time, legal fees and court costs for the people involved – and the community at large – and help to free up the court system.”

The Scholarship was established by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General in 2015 in memory of Jack Cranstoun, who was a much-loved member of the Dispute Resolution Branch and who passed away in a surfing accident in 2014.

The scholarship is now in its third year and offers budding mediators with the opportunity to be trained in mediation with the Queensland Government’s Dispute Resolution Branch, and assessed for National Mediator Accreditation.

Dispute Resolution Training Manager Janet Barnes said the scholarship gave recipients the skills and knowledge needed to start their career in mediation, as well as providing a valuable networking opportunity.

“Through the scholarship, the participants will undertake two interactive mediation courses run by Dispute Resolution Branch mediators,” she said.

“The opportunity to work with experienced mediators in the Dispute Resolution Branch will be invaluable for these budding mediators.”

The other recipients of this year’s scholarship were Nathan Williams from Bundaberg, Malia Naupoto from Brisbane and Michael Chang from Townsville.

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Media Contact: Pam Frost 0437 696 809