"Clearing the dorm room was really a problem that the litigants should have resolved themselves, but I decided to help them after I learned that there were many books, antiques and pieces of furniture whose ownership needed to be attributed," Yang said.

"Otherwise, deciding ownership would have been difficult for the three litigants, all age 60 and older, and might even provoke further conflict among them."

Yang's mediation saw many of the books and documents donated to the college library, while most of the other artifacts were donated to the Haidian District Museum.

Recalling the lengthy mediation process, Yang said it had been worth the time. "I knew I had done the right thing when the 75-year-old defendant, who had attended the court, bowed to thank me after the dispute had been resolved," she said.