The Western Justice Center Foundation's vision emerged in 1985 among a group of judges and lawyers involved with the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. They saw an unmet need, particularly in the west, to expand the quantity and quality of research into dispute resolution methods and strategies for improving the administration of justice. This group realized that most of the national organizations concerned with conflict resolution, judicial improvement and law-related matters were based in the east or mid-west. This was so even though California had the largest legal and judicial system in the country. There were, and are today, more lawyers, judges and court personnel in the Los Angeles area alone than exist in all but a few states. This group of visionaries did not focus only on the court system. They sought also to examine the needs of people in communities, organizations and businesses who find themselves in conflict. They saw that alternatives to litigation and new tools for problem solving had benefits beyond the courthouse and legal system. They recognized that legal reform and law-related education deserved greater attention. The leadership included several appellate judges who had relocated from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena, along with judges from elsewhere in the Ninth Circuit.

The founders conceived of a center to bring together organizations that are widely dispersed, promote collaborative work and research into judicial administration and education, alternative forms of dispute resolution, continuing legal education, international legal issues and other areas of justice reform. The acquisition and restoration of four buildings adjacent to the courthouse made for a perfect campus-like complex which is now home to 16 tenant nonprofits and the headquarters and education center for the Western Justice Center.

The judges of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals welcomed this vision to transform the way that institutions deal with conflict to create cultures of peace within schools, communities, courts and government agencies. They saw WJCF as a compatible neighbor, attracting persons interested in improving the administration of justice. The Court endorsed the creation of this new organization, as did members of the United States Supreme Court and the heads of legal, judicial and dispute resolution institutions around the country.

1993 - Present: The Vision Evolves

As WJCF began operations, the board faced two challenges: (1) the renovation of its four historic buildings; and (2) funding the development of programs consistent with the mission.

During 1993-94, WJCF restored the Richard H. Keatinge Memorial Building, named after its first president. U. S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy dedicated the Keatinge Building in May 1994. U. S. Appellate Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, Board Chair, and Robert S. Warren, then WJCF's president and a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, presided

By the end of 1995, the second building was restored and scheduled for dedication in early 1996. The building was leased to the Pacific Oaks Research Center, an institution devoted to research on early childhood education, conflict resolution and race-bias reduction.

The board determined that WJCF would be a principal partner in many of the activities taking place in its facilities and defined a more active strategy for convening organizations interested in its mission and molding them into program consortia that would provide joint planning and management of experimental programs. It concluded that today's need for innovative research and development could best be met by bringing people and organizations together in new ways; using conflict resolution and consensus-building methods to shape shared strategies; nurturing cooperation; and converting competition among organizations into productive partnerships.

There was a need for a "different" kind of organization that helps other institutions achieve their missions together through collaborative efforts. It defined its vision for creating a non-partisan, non-ideological research and development center built upon respect for the range of viewpoints that exist on important issues; a place where creative minds can invent, test, evaluate and replicate new approaches focused on regional, national and international spheres; a locus where groups with common interests in dispute resolution, justice and law-related initiatives will join together in consortia in order to share their ideas, their resources, their energy and their influence; an organization dedicated to nurturing collaboration among diverse groups, being a catalyst for attracting investments in joint programs and serving as an umbrella for program consortia that implement groundbreaking projects; and, an institution that creates cost-effective partnerships in order to accomplish what each organization could not achieve alone.

The board succeeded in attracting a planning grant from The James Irvine Foundation in May 1994 to help WJCF refine its vision, mission, operating philosophy and program strategy. In October 1995, the board adopted the results of a 16-month self-examination and decided that it would become much more than a landlord for other organizations and programs. WJCF was redefined as an "active" research and development organization.

Since that time WJCF has focused its mission to work with children, communities, schools, and courts and governments to assure peaceful conflict resolution.

The WJCF continues its tradition of supporting and implementing innovative programs in the area of conflict resolution systems design with a wide variety of partners. Every endeavor of WJCF is evaluated as a pilot project and the results of the implementation process are shared with local, regional and national audiences.