THIS BOOKLET IS INTENDED AS A BACKUP RESOURCE FOR PARTIES INTERESTED IN ORGANIZING DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTERS. THE GRASSROOTS CITIZEN DISPUTE RESOLUTION CLEARINGHOUSE IS WORKING TO LINK THE CITIZEN CENTERS INTO A NATIONWIDE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK WHICH ENCOURAGES INFORMATION SHARING AND GROWTH. VARIOUS ARTICLES INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS OF THE PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE DISPUTE CENTER, OR COMMUNITY MOOTS, AS THEY ARE SOMETIMES CALLED. COMMUNITY DISPUTE CENTERS ARE ESTABLISHED TO ALLEVIATE THE CASELOAD OF CRIMINAL COURTS BY TAKING MINOR INTERPERSONAL DISPUTES OUT OF THE CRIMINAL COURT SYSTEM AND PLACING THEM INTO THE HANDS OF COMMUNITY PEERS ACTING AS MEDIATORS. THE NUMBER OF CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES IS SMALL, SO THERE IS LITTLE EMPIRICAL DATA CONCERNING THEIR ACTIVITIES. FOR THE MOST PART, HOWEVER, THE CENTERS APPEAR TO BE WORKING WELL BOTH IN ALLEVIATING THE CRIMINAL COURT CASELOAD AND IN RESOLVING DISPUTES. THE JEWISH CONCILIATION BOARD IN NEW YORK CITY, FOUNDED IN 1920, IS THE OLDEST ORGANIZATION OF THIS TYPE IN THE COUNTRY. THIS COURT DEVELOPED OUT OF AN OLD RELIGIOUS TRADITION DATING BACK TO BIBLICAL TIMES. IN 1971, SEVERAL GROUPS BEGAN EXPERIMENTING QUITE SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE COMMUNITY MOOT COURTS. PROGRAMS IN VARIOUS CITIES, INCLUDING NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, AND COLUMBUS, OHIO ARE DISCUSSED AND EVALUATED, AND THEIR SYSTEMS AND SUCCESSES ARE OUTLINED. A SAMPLE REPRINT FROM THE GRASSROOTS CENTER'S NEWSLETTER DESCRIBING A PROJECT IN SAN FRANCISCO IS PROVIDED. A FINAL ARTICLE OUTLINES TRAINING AND SELECTION PROCEDURES FOR MEDIATORS. APPENDIXES INCLUDE TRAINING WORKSHOP NOTES AND REFERENCE MATERIALS. FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, SEE NCJ'S 46213-46217.