Mediation for Lawyers: How Attorneys Can Improve Negotiation Outcomes
Lawsuits take a heavy toll on everyone involved. They cost significant time and money, drain energy, and often leave clients frustrated with the legal process. As an attorney, your goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for the people you represent. While you work hard to build strong cases, traditional courtroom litigation is not […]
Online Mediation Training: Benefits, Certificate & Career Opportunities
Conflict is a natural part of human interaction. Learning how to manage and resolve it effectively is a highly sought after skill. Whether you are a legal professional looking to better represent your clients or a human resources manager dealing with workplace disputes, understanding the core principles of dispute resolution can transform your career. It […]
Understanding Facilitative and Evaluative Mediation: How Experienced Mediators Really Practice
For years, mediation theory has framed facilitative and evaluative mediation approaches as distinct, and often opposing, models. Mediation training programs, textbooks, and mediator biographies frequently present these approaches as choices, as though mediators must align themselves with one camp or the other. Facilitative and transformative mediation are often discussed in the context of distinct styles, […]
The Effective Mediation Brief: A Missed Opportunity for Many
In an era where the vast majority of disputes settle before reaching trial, the mediation brief remains one of the most under‑leveraged tools in a lawyer’s advocacy toolkit. Too often, attorneys rush past this critical step, treating the mediation brief as a procedural obligation rather than the first, and perhaps most powerful, opportunity to influence […]
Mediation vs Litigation: Which Is Better for Resolving Disputes?
Dealing with a dispute is often stressful and exhausting. You want a resolution that is fair, timely, and respectful of your needs. When a conflict arises, people usually think of two main paths to find a solution. You can go to court, or you can sit down with a neutral third party to work things […]
Master Conflict Resolution: The Benefits of Mediation Training Online
Conflict is a natural part of human interaction. Whether it happens in the boardroom, within a family, or between organizations, the ability to navigate disputes is a powerful skill. But effective mediation isn’t just about having good intuition; it requires a specific set of tools, strategies, and a deep understanding of human psychology. For a […]
Artificial Intelligence in Mediation: What the Future Holds for Mediators
Artificial intelligence for helping mediate disputes has begun to gain traction. Although it might not yet be commonplace, it is on its way to playing a pivotal role in conflict resolution, providing mediators with tools and functionalities that streamline the mediation process, offer data-driven insights, and help manage communications and negotiations. The use of Artificial […]
What is the Difference Between Mediation and Arbitration?
Arbitration and mediation share a common lineage as alternatives to the traditional legal system of court and jury trials. Known as different forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), they are both intended to offer less expensive, more efficient outside-of-courtroom approaches to resolving disputes than afforded by more formal litigation. Yet there, the similarities end. The […]
Average Settlement Offers During Mediation
What’s Wrong with Asking About Average Settlement Offers During Mediation? I was asked by a journalist recently about the average settlement offers in mediation. And while his search for understanding is laudable, the question itself is misguided. Mediation, a form of alternative dispute resolution, is best defined as a facilitated negotiation. At its core, it […]
Rethinking Basic Mediation Training: Essential Skills
Basic Mediation Training – An Essential Foundation for Mediators There is a reason why so many aspiring mediators enter the profession by completing a 40-hour basic mediation training course. Basic mediation training builds the essential foundation of knowledge, skills, and ethical awareness required to manage conflict effectively. It introduces core principles such as neutrality, active […]