The Office of the Attorney General is always recruiting Volunteer Consumer Complaint Mediators.
The Consumer Mediation Service is a free service to Maine consumers who have a dispute with a business. Complaint mediation is a way to settle disputes in which the two parties to the dispute work through a Volunteer Mediator who helps the disputing parties understand each other's position and reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
The Volunteer Mediators share offices in the Consumer Protection Division. After completing the Consumer Protection Division's mediator training, mediators will consult on their mediation cases with the Division's staff throughout their cases.
Mediators commit to volunteering a minimum of 6 months for 3 hours per week.
Volunteer Mediators receive training from Consumer Protection Division staff in the following areas:
- Introduction to the State and Federal legal system;
- The Maine Uniform Commercial Code and consumer's common law contract rights;
- The Unfair Trade Practices Act, State and Federal law;
- Warranty rights, express and implied;
- Lemon Law complaints and used car complaints;
- Landlord/tenant law;
- Deceptive advertising;
- Home improvements and door-to-door sales;
- Credit sales and debt collection;
- Deposits and refunds; and
- Mediation techniques.
Application
Volunteer Mediator Application (Word)
College Course Credit and CADRES Mediation Experience
Students at the University of Maine at Augusta may be able receive college credits for serving as a Volunteer Mediator in our program. Interested persons should contact the UMA Office of Academic Affairs.
Participation in this program may also count toward a limited number of the CADRES (Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Services) roster mediation requirements. For more information, please see the Judicial Branch's information for mediators.