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The St. Louis Mediation Project is a free program helping communities, neighbors, family members, tenants, homeowners, landlords, and lenders solve housing disputes in and out of court.
Our highly trained mediators, law and social work students, and housing counselors help:
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Save neighbors, tenants, family members, and homeowners from having negative legal actions on their records
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Avoid large court costs, attorneys' fees, and sheriffs' fees
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Deal with potential evictions and foreclosures
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Set up payment plans and share rental assistance information
Our mediations are free, impartial, confidential, and voluntary.
Our mediations help provide solutions to difficult housing disputes.
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In addition to providing a crucial service to St. Louis residents, the St. Louis Mediation Project provides substantial practical experience to law students, helping train the next generation of attorney-mediators.
“I was nervous at first during the mediation, because I’m like, 'Oh no, I don’t want everyone to know what’s going on.' But after speaking with the mediators, it was like talking to regular people, just letting them know what’s going on and [helping me solve my housing problem].”
-KaDrea H.
Hear more about the St. Louis Mediation Project and KaDrea's experience at St. Louis on the Air: In 2020, St. Louis Mediation Project Is A Lifeline For Tenants, Landlords Alike
Children at home?
Taking care of family?
New job schedule?
Don't worry!
We know these are challenging times, and our mediators are ready to work with you, your family, and your schedule.
“[The St. Louis Mediation Project] functions as a crucial pillar within our comprehensive strategy for tenant support and housing security. The St. Louis Mediation Project is a proactive, community-driven solution that helps mediate disputes and conflicts between various stakeholders in the housing ecosystem in the challenging landscape of rental housing, where unforeseen circumstances and financial hardships can push tenants to the brink of eviction. The St. Louis Mediation Project, in essence, assists us in carrying out our mission of fostering vibrant and inclusive communities by increasing the availability of affordable housing.”
-DeSales Community Development
Our Team
Our Team
The St. Louis Mediation Project collaborates with the Washington University School of Law Community Justice & Mediation Clinic and Miles Mediation & Arbitration. The program has helped residents in and out of the courts of St. Louis County and City for over 15 years.
The team includes trusted and experienced mediators, housing counselors, former judges, and law and social work students.
Mike Geigerman
Vice President,
St. Louis Mediation Project
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Mediator at Miles Mediation & Arbitration
Robert Litz
Vice President
St. Louis Mediation Project
Mediator at Miles Mediation & Arbitration
Ed Cohen
Board Member
St. Louis Mediation Project
Mediator and Partner at Thompson Coburn
Kalila Jackson
Advisor,
St. Louis Mediation Project
Attorney at Law
Karen Tokarz
President,
St. Louis Mediation Project
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Professor at Washington University School of Law
Laura Silver
Board Member,
St. Louis Mediation Project
Mediator and Attorney at Law
Linda Ingram
Board Member,
St. Louis Mediation Project
Mediator, Retired Housing Counselor
Elad Gross
Project Manager,
St. Louis Mediation Project
Attorney at Law
Sam Stragand
Research Coordinator,
St. Louis Mediation Project
Manager of the Detroit Partnership on Economic Mobility
C.J. Larkin
Board Member,
St. Louis Mediation Project
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Mediator and Attorney at Law
Kevin Erker
Board Member,
St. Louis Mediation Project
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Attorney at Law and Adjunct Professor at WashU Law and Business Schools
Anat Gross
Data Manager,
St. Louis Mediation Project
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Attorney at Law
Mediators
Linda Ingram
Melvin Kennedy
Ken Chackes
Mike Geigerman
Michele Chapel
Karen Tokarz
Pearlina Boyd
Hon. Michael Burton (former)
Hon. Thea Sherry (former)
Hon. Terry Brown (former)
Anna Shabsin
Ed Cohen
Kevin Erker
Nathaniel Carroll
C. J. Larkin
Anat Gross
James Reeves
Chris Hoell
Elad Gross
Laura Silver
Stephen Strum
David Minnick
How We Mediate
How It Works
The St. Louis Mediation Project provides trusted, trained mediators to help resolve community and housing disputes. Tenant-landlord or homeowner-lender mediations include the tenant or homeowner, a representative from the landlord or lender, and at least one trained mediator who helps the parties work out a solution. The mediators do not represent any of the parties. The mediators are there to help you find an agreement that works for your unique situation.
Typically, the mediators gather basic information from the parties, set up a meeting, and work with you on the problems you are facing. During the mediation, you will have plenty of opportunity to share your experiences and any documents you would like to present. There is no requirement that you come to an agreement, but we work very hard to help you find a resolution. Any agreement you make will be in writing and will be signed by all the parties involved.
The entire process is voluntary, confidential, and free.
To expand access to mediations, in addition to in-person mediations, we offer meetings through Zoom, and participants are able to sign documents electronically. If you are not familiar with Zoom, we will help you get set up.
Mediations in Court
We conduct mediations between landlords and tenants who are not represented by lawyers at the courthouse on the day of the scheduled hearing.
These mediations are conducted in person, by WebEx, and, in some cases, a combination of the two. The parties are able to sign court documents electronically when necessary via DocuSign and Adobe Sign.
On court days, computer resources are available for litigants at the Access to Justice Center on the second floor of the St. Louis County Courthouse, located at 106 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105.
Mediations in the Community
We mediate disputes before lawyers are involved and lawsuits are filed. We set up mediations between neighbors, community members, tenants, landlords, homeowners, and lenders to try to resolve disputes and address issues without having to involve court processes such as eviction or foreclosure.
These mediations can be very effective, save the parties legal costs, and prevent tenants and homeowners from having eviction, foreclosure, or other legal actions on their records. Mediations also help reduce evictions and foreclosures, and stabilize communities.
These mediations are conducted both in person and by Zoom. We schedule mediations in conjunction with the individuals involved.
The St. Louis Mediation Project was featured on St. Louis on the Air. Listen to the segment and learn more about the mediation process.
This example of a community mediation between two neighbors shows the general elements involved in a landlord-tenant or lender-owner mediation.
Training Law Students
In addition to providing an important service to St. Louis residents, the St. Louis Mediation Project provides unique learning opportunities for Washington University School of Law students. Students receive classroom training in mediation, negotiation, and litigation; shadowing opportunities to observe some of the region's best professional mediators; and the chance to mediate cases in court under attorney supervision.
Through our efforts to help St. Louis residents, the St. Louis Mediation Project is also providing crucial training to the next generation of attorneys.
The St. Louis Mediation Project was featured in the St. Louis Bar Journal. Learn more about the research behind our mediation program and the impact it is having in the St. Louis region here.
Get Help
Resources for Renters and Landlords
There are a few assistance programs available for renters, landlords, and homeowners. We have created several tutorials to help, and we've put together a dedicated resource page.
You can also share the page with an easy link: MOEviction.com
Contact
Contact Us
For inquiries, contact us is by email at coordinator@stlmediationproject.org. At this time, our mediations are limited to those taking place in pro se housing court in St. Louis County.
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