EDITOR'S NOTES

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.174-1617.1994.tb01067.x
• Date: 01 July 1994
• Author: Hugh McIsaac
• Published date: 01 July 1994

EDITOR’S

NOTES

When

I

received Meyer Elkin’s poem, “Autumn,” I felt a powerful

premonition of its ultimate implication. “Mike,”

as

his

staff

knew him, was

always aware of happenings within and around him. This poem was no

exception. It was printed in the April issue, which circulated

2

weeks

following Mike’s death.

This issue commemorates Mike’s life and his many contributions to the

family court movement, not the least of which

is

thisjournal. He was its editor

for

16

years. He was the first director of the first conciliation court in the

country. He helped pioneer court-connected marriage counseling, premarital

counseling, the use of groups in the court, changing the language of divorce

and a host of other innovations. But for me, these were not his greatest

contribution.

Mike’s greatest contribution was a totally nonbureaucratic, humanistic

approach to the administration of human services. His attention to the needs

of families using the service and his concern for them

as

fellow human beings

was his greatest legacy: The example we should all take away from his life,

especially in an age more attuned to “downsizing” and “limits” than to

expanding the opportunities for human growth.

This issue contains an interview conducted by David Kuroda for the

California Social Welfare Archives house at the University of Southern

California, illustrating these qualities. This interview is preceded by Jay

Folberg’s tribute to Mike citing his many contributions. But the ultimate

tribute to Mike will

be

our own adherence to the values he held dear

so

that

through our own actions, his life work may continue.

Also included in this issue

are

a wonderful statement

by

Judge Kristena

LaMar and transcripts of the judicial presentation at the Portland, Oregon

orientation to mediation. The transcripts are a continuation of the article in

the January

1994

issue, describing the orientation. Judge LaMar’s statement

develops the vision of legal representation and judicial intervention

as

a

problem-solving, healing process, and not a contest to determine winners and

losers. We hope to publish more material like this in future editions.

We are also publishing another article

from

the statewide snapshot study

of mandatory mediation conducted by the California Statewide Office of

Family Court Services. This article compares reporting and nonreporting

counties. The results show nonreporting counties having a slightly higher

FAMILY

AND

CONCILIATION

COURTS

REVIEW,

Val.

32

No.

3,

July

1994

270-271

0

1994

Sage

Publications,

Inc.

270