The Lancaster Mediation Center (LMC) began as the vision of a informal gathering of local attorneys who were searching for better ways to solve certain disputes outside the formal judicial system in 1979.
In the Spring of 1980 meetings were held at the Lancaster Bar Association to consider the community needs for alternative dispute resolution services. As interest continued to build the list of attendees expanded to include representatives from the following local agencies: Tabor Community Services, Central Penn Legal Services, Crisis Intervention, Consumer Protection Commission, Spanish American Civic Association, Lancaster County Board of Assistance, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Tressler Luthern Service Association, Adult Probation and Parole of Lancaster County, Mennonite Conciliation Services, Family and Children's Services, the Lancaster Bar Association and the recently dissolved Human Relations Commission.
The Pennsylvania Bar Association contributed initial start up funding and the local bar association has also made significant contributions over the years. The Mennonite Central Committee provided most of the LMC staff in the early years and also presented the first mediation training.
Lancaster County has generously provided office space since 1982. Our first office was located in a historic hospital building at 900 East King Street, next we relocated to the Old County Courthouse, then to 225 West King Street. We moved to our current location on the first floor of the county courthouse building in January of 2010.
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The use of mediation is limited only by the willingness of the people 