Members of Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania Standing Outside after a Kaplan Lecture

Advancing the Practice of Mediation Across Pennsylvania

MCWP’s Mission

The Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania exists to advance the quality, recognition, and accessibility of divorce mediation, family mediation, and conflict resolution throughout our region. We empower mediators with our resources, connections, and training to thrive while ensuring the public and courts have access to trusted professionals.

Join the Legacy

We are a little community… you find your people here.

Alicia Nocera
MCWP President

Our Heritage:
Hon. Lawrence Kaplan

Judge Kaplan is known for his commitment to the principle that giving the parties an opportunity to resolve their own disputes would improve the quality of dispute resolution and justice in family courts. In the early 1980s, he championed mediation for divorce in Allegheny County and established the Family Mediation Council, one of the region’s first organizations dedicated to advancing the use of mediation, which ultimately became the MCWP. In addition to his distinguished career on the bench, Judge Kaplan held leadership positions in many organizations, among them the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Pioneering Family Mediation and Mediation for Divorce Services

MCWP’s story began over 40 years ago, sparked by Judge Kaplan’s observations in his Allegheny County courtroom. Day after day, he watched families torn apart. Bitter custody battles turned children into weapons. Divorce proceedings drained college funds and retirement savings. Parents who once loved each other now sat across the courtroom as enemies, treating every disagreement like a war to be won.

Meanwhile, 3,000 miles away in California they had discovered something revolutionary: family mediation - an approach where trained divorce mediators helped people resolve disputes through conversation, not combat. Families were successfully crafting their own agreements with the help of trained divorce mediators. Children stayed out of courtrooms.

MCWP’s story began over 40 years ago, sparked by Judge Kaplan’s observations in his Allegheny County courtroom. Day after day, he watched families torn apart. Bitter custody battles turned children into weapons. Divorce proceedings drained college funds and retirement savings. Parents who once loved each other now sat across the courtroom as enemies, treating every disagreement like a war to be won. Meanwhile, 3,000 miles away in California they had discovered something revolutionary: family mediation - an approach where trained divorce mediators helped people resolve disputes through conversation, not combat. Families were successfully crafting their own agreements with the help of trained divorce mediators. Children stayed out of courtrooms.

It Started With One Judge's Vision for Family Mediation

Expanding Access to Mediation for Divorce and Custody Disputes

Judge Kaplan made a decision that would earn him the title "grandfather of mediation" in Western Pennsylvania: he refused to accept that courtroom warfare was the only option for families in crisis. In 1982, he founded what was then the Family Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania, determined to bring mediation for divorce and family mediation alternatives to our region.

The council originated by providing pro bono family mediation services through court referrals, specializing in mediation for divorce cases and custody disputes, and maintained a public inquiry phone line for years, fielding questions about divorce mediation and referring parties to qualified mediators.

Judge Kaplan made a decision that would earn him the title "grandfather of mediation" in Western Pennsylvania: he refused to accept that courtroom warfare was the only option for families in crisis. In 1982, he founded what was then the Family Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania, determined to bring mediation for divorce and family mediation alternatives to our region. The council originated by providing pro bono family mediation services through court referrals, specializing in mediation for divorce cases and custody disputes, and maintained a public inquiry phone line for years, fielding questions about divorce mediation and referring parties to qualified mediators.

How Mediation in Pennsylvania was Forever Changed

From Divorce Mediators to a Comprehensive Mediation Network

The original handful of family and divorce mediation specialists welcomed conflict management practitioners from diverse backgrounds, including workplace specialists, civil litigation experts, and community mediators. What began as the Family Mediation Council evolved into Western Pennsylvania's most comprehensive mediation network.

Whether you're passionate about mediation for divorce, drawn to community conflict resolution, or specializing in business disputes, MCWP provides the platform, connections, and credibility you need.

Judge Kaplan's core belief remains: every mediator deserves a professional community invested in their success, and every dispute deserves skilled professionals.

We're not just an organization; we're the community where every mediator finds support to help others find their way forward.

Welcome to that community. Welcome to MCWP

Explore Our Directory

Meet Our Board Officers

Our board officers provide leadership and direction, backed by decades of combined experience as trusted divorce mediators, family mediators, and leaders in civil and community conflict resolution.