Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem Vicinage Seeks Volunteers

The Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem Vicinage is seeking volunteers for its special civil part settlement program, an opportunity to help litigants resolve civil disputes of up to $20,000 without having to go to trial.

Volunteers are needed to serve as neutral settlors in small claims and special civil part cases. 

Volunteers will appear in person on scheduled court days during business hours and will be assigned one or more cases to settle per court session. They must be comfortable working with people and helping them find creative ways to resolve disputes. Volunteers also will help parties draft settlement agreements to present to the judge. 

Detailed training is provided, including an 18-hour mediation and conciliation course and observations with experienced settlors. 

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and must agree to comply with the Code of Conduct for Judiciary Volunteers. They are asked to commit to serve for at least one year. Candidates will be interviewed for details about their experience and background. Selected candidates will be fingerprinted and must pass a criminal history background check. 

The primary goal of the court's volunteer program is to strengthen the court-community partnership and to enhance the public's confidence in the court system through direct participation of community members.

Court volunteers are:

•    systematically screened to safeguard the integrity of the court.
•    appointed by a judge for a term of one to three years.
•    trained through court orientation and program-specific instruction.
•    supported by a designated program coordinator within the court.
•    offered diverse, relevant continuing education opportunities to support their ongoing volunteer experience and personal growth.

Interested candidates can access the volunteer application at www.njcourts.gov/public/overview-volunteer-services and selecting the county for which they are interested in volunteering. 

For more information about these programs and the application process, contact the vicinage volunteer liaison at 856-878-5050, ext. 15158 or Vic15Volunteer.mailbox@njcourts.gov.