[§613-2] Establishment of the center for alternative dispute resolution. (a) There is established within the judiciary the center for alternative dispute resolution. The center shall facilitate the effective, timely, and voluntary resolution of disputes. Through these resolutions, it shall help reduce public and private costs of litigation and increase satisfaction with the justice system. The center shall accomplish its purposes by:
(b) The center shall be organized, guided, and administratively maintained by the chief justice or the chief justice's designee. The chief justice shall appoint a director of the center. The director may hire staff necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter, including but not limited to an assistant director and a program specialist. The director, assistant director, and program specialist shall have substantial experience, training, and education in the methodologies of alternative dispute resolution. Employees of the center shall be exempt from chapter 76, shall not be considered civil service employees, but shall be entitled to any employee benefit plan normally inuring to civil service employees. [L 1989, c 346, pt of §2; am L 1991, c 131, §1; am L 2000, c 253, §150]