The Mediator's Forum - Mentoring Groups for Mediators of all Levels

Lee Jay Berman 

It is often said that the mediation profession suffers from a lack of mentoring.  Mediators receive training, and while some training includes a clinical study segment, most do not include ongoing mentoring.  Mediators who struggle to make ends meet in their practice, often wrestle with difficult issues such as marketing and business operations behind a mediation practice.  The other missing element is having someone to ask questions about difficult mediations or difficult parties. Mentoring is the answer for all of these challenges. Shorten your ramp up time to success by dedicating three hours a month to your career development.

Groups are now forming for mediators to receive mentoring in small groups.  These groups will be lead by Lee Jay Berman, full-time mediator since 1994, founder and President of the American Institute of Mediation, former director of Pepperdine Law School’s “Mediating the Litigated Case” program (2002-2009), and national chair of the ABA’s Dispute Resolution Training Committee (2003-2007).

While the mentoring groups will be facilitated and will determine their own focus and agenda based on the group’s priorities, some of the popular subjects will likely include:

• Moving from doing paperwork to getting cases
• Transitioning from another practice to a mediation practice
• Dealing with difficult people at the table
• Overcoming obstacles that can lead to impasse
• "I couldn't settle this, what was I missing?"
• Ethical dilemmas and disclosure challenges
• Getting more business as a mediator (worth mentioning twice!)

What people have said about the Mediator's Forum:

"I come to the groups because starting your own mediation practice can be a lonely endeavor with little feedback from your clients regarding the effectiveness of your marketing efforts or mediation methods. Having peers to discuss issues and ideas with or just to get feedback from makes the whole endeavor less lonely, daunting and mysterious. It's real world feedback from real world mediators who work in the same city and deal with the same problems. Priceless!"
- Terri Lubaroff, Lubaroff Mediation, Century City, CA

 

  *     *     *     *     *
 

Groups are limited to 12 people.

PLEASE NOTE: The In-Person course will take place at The Offices of the American Institute of Mediation located at 4640 Admiralty Way, Suite 500, Marina del Rey, CA 90292.