ABOUT ELAINE TALLEY

Elaine Talley is a thoughtful, empathetic and intuitive mediator. She has honed her conflict resolution skills since childhood. She is a licensed California attorney and holds a Master of Education degree from UC Davis. She is passionate about public education and loves working as a neutral mediator/facilitator.

Ms. Talley focused on conflict resolution as a passion upon which she could build a career when she was in law school at UC Davis, where she also became a Public Interest Law Scholar. While studying law, she took advantage of all the mediation courses.

Upon graduating, Ms. Talley became a professional mediator for the City of Davis, California, resolving landlord-tenant disputes, backyard fence issues, and the like. In 1997 she hung a shingle as an independent mediator, handling cases involving employment issues, special education, contract disputes, vocational rehabilitation, partnership and business disputes, and housing discrimination. 

Today, her skills are in high demand in schools throughout California. She facilitates Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings and mediates dispute over special education services guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). She also frequently mediates disagreements between families and school districts regarding issues related to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires schools to provide accommodations for students with disabilities.

In addition to serving as an independent mediator and facilitator, Ms. Talley’s professional experience includes three years (1999-2002) serving as the Mediation Coordinator at the California Special Education Hearing Office.  As Mediation Coordinator, Ms. Talley supervised and oversaw the California Special Education Hearing Office mediation system.  She also designed the implementation of two new mediation systems in California. One was for the Regional Centers and the people with developmental disabilities they serve; the other was for the California Department of Rehabilitation and the people they serve. Ms. Talley has also served as a mediator for the State Employee Mediation Program (SEMP) of California.  

 Speaking Engagements:

  • Association for Conflict Resolution national conference

  • American Bar Association Section on Dispute Resolution national conference

  • Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) National Symposium

  • Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT)

  • Shriners Hospital

  • Association of California School Administrators ACSA annual conference

  • Area Board 4 – State Council on Developmental Disabilities

Professional Memberships:

  • The State Bar of California 

  • The Association for Conflict Resolution, an international group devoted to mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution


Partial Client List:

  • Parent Groups

  • Private Schools

  • School Districts

  • County Offices of Education

  • Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPAs)

  • State Agencies

  • Public Employers

  • Private Employers

  • Businesses