About
Jennifer Sheehy
I currently am employed as a mediation specialist for the Foreclosure Mediation Program for the state of Connecticut. In that program, I mediate between mortgage companies and homeowners in an effort to reach an agreement between the parties that would avoid a foreclosure judgment entered against the borrowers. I also volunteer in the Judicial Branch as a compliance coordinator. That position gives me the opportunity to assist with interviewing and hiring panels, and insure that questions and decisions on hiring are not based on any potentially discriminatory information.
Currently, I am a candidate for the Master of Science degree in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from the Werner Institute at Creighton University, with a concentration in organizational and transactional negotiation. I have had many opportunities with this program, including assisting with Cyberweek on ADRHub.com, a week-long online conference on Online Dispute Resolution, and also working as a research assistant.
I love my job as a foreclosure mediation, and I definitely hope to continue as a dispute resolution practitioner in the future. I also hope to continue my studies in the field of dispute resolution after receiving my master's degree.
Views on the practice of law
I believe that a well balanced legal system, with a variety of available programs to assist participants in the system, is absolutely essential to answer the needs of communities that it serves. I also believe that my history in working for the judicial branch in Connecticut demonstrates that different programs can have a wide variety of results.
I have worked for the Judicial Branch in Connecticut since May 2005. When I first was hired, I was extremely fortunate to be assigned as the courtroom clerk for a judge with an extremely active jury trial docket. In that position, I was able to participate in many aspects of litigation, including pretrial settlement conferences, hearings, mediations, and both jury and non-jury trials. I also was able to work in both the criminal and family courts in addition to my primary position as a civil court clerk.
It was through my first employment with the Judicial Branch that I was given the opportunity to apply for my current job as a mediation specialist. The Foreclosure Mediation Program in Connecticut was created in 2008 in answer to the increasing amount of foreclosure cases that were showing up on the dockets in every courthouse in the state. The program has greatly assisted in reducing the amount of cases on the foreclosure docket by reaching settlements between homeowners and mortgage companies to avoid the foreclosure. I was one of the original mediators hired for this program, and I believe the program has greatly assisted everyone involved in the process.
Recently, the Judicial Branch released a report on the possibility of expanding dispute resolution opportunities in civil court. I believe this to be so beneficial for anyone involved in the process, because it gives opportunities to not only participate in litigation, but also to see if various forms of dispute resolution will assist in obtaining an outcome that the participants are agreeable to.
Reason to be here
I became interested in mediation as a career choice because I love the fact that I am helping people find a solution to their current disputes. I have had many opportunities in my career so far, and I believe that this internship would be a wonderful experience to expand my dispute resolution skills and education. I also feel that participating in an online environment in dispute resolution will help to strengthen my abilities in my current job and beyond.
I have become very interested in Online Dispute Resolution through my studies at Creighton, and I hope to continue participating in some form of online dispute resolution even after graduation. I also am extremely interested in expanding into different areas of disputes than the ones I currently handle in my job, and would love the opportunity to continue learning about different areas of law and dispute resolution.
