Elaine Talley

Elaine Talley is an independent mediator and facilitator. Since she began her practice in 1995, her primary focus has been special education. She also mediates cases involving employment issues, disabilities, vocational rehabilitation, partnerships and business disputes, landlord-tenant law, neighborhood disputes, small claims court, and housing discrimination. Ms. Talley has been an invited speaker at the Association for Conflict Resolution national conference, the American Bar Association Section on Dispute Resolution national conference, and the Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) National Symposium. She provides mediation training for the Administrative Law Judges at the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Her professional experience includes three years serving as the Mediation Coordinator at the California Special Education Hearing Office. As Mediation Coordinator, Ms. Talley oversaw the California Special Education Hearing Office mediation system. In addition, she designed and supervised the implementation of two new mediation systems in California; one providing mediation for the Regional Centers and the people with developmentally disabilities they serve, the other providing mediation for the California Department of Rehabilitation and the people they serve.

Ms. Talley holds a Bachelor of Science from U.C. Berkeley, and a Master of Education and a Law degree, both from U.C. Davis. While studying law she emphasized alternative dispute resolution. Ms Talley is a member of the State Bar and the Association for Conflict Resolution. She conducts Due Process Hearings for the Department of Developmental Services.