austin dispute resolution center

What austin dispute resolution center does

Austin Dispute Resolution Center (legal name: Dispute Resolution Center of Austin) is an independent nonprofit founded in 1983 under Texas Civil Practices & Remedies Code 154.052, headquartered in Austin, Texas with two physical offices and a service area covering Travis County and surrounding Central Texas. The organization provides civil mediation, civil litigation mediation, facilitation, and court-mandated juvenile mediations (including pre-release parent-child and victim/offender mediation at Gardner-Betts Juvenile Detention Center and Travis County Juvenile Court), delivered by approximately 60 trained volunteer mediators supported by a small paid staff of 7-8 employees. Its underlying methodology is a community-based mediation model using an interest-based negotiation framework and a structured seven-stage mediation process, with sessions available in-person or via Zoom.

The DRC also operates a mediation training division offering a 40-hour basic training ($950), a 30-hour family mediation training ($650), customized workplace trainings tiered by nonprofit vs. corporate pricing, and a $99 instructional DVD, all serving to credential new mediators and provide continuing education (including SHRM and MCLE credits). Approximately 80% of operating funding comes from the Travis County Alternative Dispute Resolution Fund, a statutory surcharge on civil filing fees, with the remainder from training fees, modest sliding-scale client fees ($50-$250 per side), grants, and donations. Reported outcomes include a 75% agreement rate, 95% client satisfaction, and more than 2,500 alumni trained since inception.

Name

austin dispute resolution center

Legal name

Dispute Resolution Center of Austin

Website

https://austindrc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Austin Dispute Resolution Center is a 1983-founded Austin, Texas nonprofit that delivers affordable civil mediation, facilitation, and juvenile court mediation services in Travis County, supported by a volunteer mediator corps and supplemented by credentialed mediation training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Dispute Resolution Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Problem-Solving Courts (Drug, Mental Health, Veterans, Family) (BPAIAFAG)

Keywords

• Civil mediation services
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Conflict resolution training
• Facilitation services
• Family mediation training

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Travis County ADR Fund: Primary funding source (~80%) from Travis County Alternative Dispute Resolution Fund, authorized by Texas legislation through $15 surcharge on civil filing fees collected by county commissioners court
2. Mediation Training Services: Revenue from 40-hour basic mediation training ($950), 30-hour family mediation training ($650), customized workplace trainings, and The Mediation Process DVD ($99)
3. Client Mediation Fees: Nominal client fees for mediation services ranging $50-$250 per side depending on circumstances. Fees never create barriers and are reduced or waived when appropriate
4. Grants and Fundraising: Remaining funding from grants, fundraising, and donations to support nonprofit operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Austin Dispute Resolution Center provides affordable civil mediation, facilitation, and conflict-resolution training services to individuals, businesses, and communities in Travis County and surrounding Central Texas areas. Its volunteer mediators facilitate dispute resolution in-person and via Zoom for family, neighborhood, landlord-tenant, business, employment, and court-referred juvenile cases. The organization also runs a training division delivering 40-hour and 30-hour mediation training programs, customized workplace trainings, and self-study materials.

Product overview

Austin Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) operates as a nonprofit organization since 1983 offering a unified portfolio of dispute resolution services and training programs. The core offering is mediation services for civil disputes, including general mediation, civil litigation mediation, facilitation services, and specialized juvenile court mediations. These services are delivered by trained volunteer mediators who facilitate communication between parties either in-person or via Zoom. Supporting the core mediation services is a comprehensive training division offering the 40-Hour Basic Mediation Training (prerequisite for becoming a mediator), 30-Hour Family Mediation Training for court-ordered family cases, Customized Workplace Training, and The Mediation Process DVD for self-paced learning. The organization serves individuals, businesses, and communities in Travis County and surrounding Austin, TX areas, with approximately 60 volunteer mediators and a small paid staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mediation Services
• Civil Litigation Mediation
• Facilitation Services
• Juvenile Court Pre-Release/Parent-Child Mediation
• Juvenile Court Victim/Offender Mediation
• 40-Hour Basic Mediation Training
• 30-Hour Family Mediation Training
• Customized Mediation Training
• The Mediation Process DVD

Quantifiable outcome

• Agreement rates of approximately 75% with overall client satisfaction rate of 95%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Travis County Juvenile CourtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Travis County Juvenile Courts to provide court-mandated mediation services including pre-release/parent-child mediation at Gardner-Betts Juvenile Detention Center and victim/offender mediation at Juvenile Court. DRC volunteers perform mediations on-site as ordered by courts.
• Texas Mediator Credentialing Association (TMCA)coreOthersStatewide voluntary credentialing group that supports quality mediation practice. DRC training exceeds TMCA standards and trainers hold TMCA credentials. DRC designated as TMCA-accepted training provider.
• Texas Association of Mediators (TAM)coreOthersStatewide group providing support and education to Texas conflict resolution community. DRC has historical connections including past presidents (Walter A. Wright, Diane Harvey).
• Austin Mediators Association (AMA)coreOthersFormerly Austin Association of Mediators. Local networking group with free meetings at least 6 times per year featuring speakers on conflict resolution topics. DRC staff serve on AMA board (Marisela Maddox as President, Clay Avery as Treasurer, Matt Smith as Vice President).
• Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR)secondaryOthersInternational conflict resolution organization with annual conference. DRC maintains affiliation for professional development and credibility.
• Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution (CPPDR)secondaryOthersUT Law School branch offering training and legislative updates for ADR community. DRC maintains affiliation for professional development.
• Texas Mediation Trainers RoundtablecoreOthersEstablishes standards for Texas mediation training. DRC training meets or exceeds TMTR 40-Hour Training Standards. Secretary position held by Diane Harvey.
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)secondaryOthersHR professional association. DRC training provides SHRM Professional Development Credits (40) for HR professionals seeking collaborative approaches to workplace disputes.
• State Bar of Texas - ADR SectionsecondaryOthersOpen to attorneys with interest in ADR. DRC training fulfills requirements for Association of Attorney-Mediators membership and provides MCLE credits for attorneys.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• JAMS: JAMS is the largest private alternative dispute resolution provider in the US, offering mediation, arbitration, and ADR services to attorneys and parties in civil and commercial disputes — directly comparable to DRC's core civil mediation offering, but at a much larger commercial scale and with paid (rather than volunteer) neutrals.
• American Arbitration Association: The AAA is the oldest and largest nonprofit ADR organization in the United States, administering arbitration and mediation across commercial, labor, and consumer matters. It is a broad incumbent with an overlapping dispute resolution mandate but operates at national scale rather than a single county.
• National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM): NAM is a national ADR firm providing mediation and arbitration services across commercial and civil matters using a vetted panel of neutrals. It competes in the same civil mediation space as DRC's Civil Litigation Mediation product, with a paid-neutrals business model.

Direct peers

• ADR Services, Inc. ADR Services is a private mediation and arbitration firm with a panel of neutrals serving civil, commercial, employment, and family matters. It is a direct peer to DRC's civil litigation mediation offering, differentiated by being a paid commercial provider rather than a community-funded nonprofit.
• Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution: CPPDR is the University of Texas School of Law's ADR center, providing training, legislative updates, and dispute resolution services in the same Austin/Central Texas market as the DRC. DRC maintains an active affiliation with CPPDR, and both organizations train mediators to TMTR/TMCA standards.
• Mediate.com: Mediate.com is the largest online directory and resource hub for mediators and ADR providers, publishing articles, directories, and listings that connect parties to mediators. It is a directly comparable peer in the mediation services and training space but operates as a digital platform rather than a service-delivery organization.
• National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM): NAFCM is a membership network of community-based mediation centers across the United States, providing training, standards, and federal advocacy for community mediation programs. It is a direct peer to DRC's community mediation center model and the national umbrella for the same nonprofit service category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DRCMediation
• Facebookfacebook.com/austintxdrc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dispute-resolution-center-of-austin-texas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about austin dispute resolution center