Settle More Cases by Mastering the Essence of Mediation

Lee Jay Berman and Richard Millen

Nothing frustrates commercial mediators more than not settling a case. Impasse can leave them lying awake wondering what they missed and scratching their head for days. Successful commercial practices are built by getting results. The difference between being good vs. great lies in settling the difficult cases. Surprisingly, those secrets can be found in the lessons of community mediation. Join us to learn what commercial mediators can learn from community mediation training.

Commercial mediators are taught in training courses how important it is to listen deeply, but rarely are they taught HOW to listen in a way that leaves the parties feeling fully heard and connected. It is through this deep listening and feeling of complete understanding that mediator trust is built. Participants’ deep trust for their mediator allows the mediator to move from a space of consultant to one of trusted advisor. It is from this place that the mediator can add the most value, make the most difference, and help the participants truly act in a way that is consistent with their own interests. This is what it takes for difficult cases to avoid impasse and resolve.

After this workshop, mediators will listen more deeply and show more natural empathy, resulting in the parties feeling more cared for, resulting in them having greater trust and ultimately agreeing to resolve their case.

Attorneys are trained to filter a person's story to find relevant facts and causes of action, affirmative defenses and holes in stories. Successful attorney-mediators must re-learn how to listen to the whole story. Only by finding parties’ hidden motivations for settling, and finding the key that unlocks their resistance, can a mediator help them open the door to settling the most difficult litigated cases.

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Approval for MCLE Credits in California is pending for 15 hours of general live MCLE hours, including 1 hour of ethics and 1 hour of elimination of bias.

Regular Enrollment is $1,195, with an earlybird discount to $1,095 for those registering at least 21 days in advance. Government and non-profit organizations enrollment is $795 as a courtesy. Members of our Affiliated Organizations receive a $100 discount on this course, and additional discounts include our 'Bring a Friend' discount of $100 each with two or more, and our 'Group Discount' of $200 each for three or more registering together from the same company, firm or non-profit organization.

This course is two and a half days, Thursday and Friday will begin daily with breakfast (and registration on the first day) at 8:30 a.m., and class beginning at 9:00 and continuing to 5:00 daily, with an hour for lunch and one 10-15 minute break in the morning and the afternoon. Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks will be served and are included. Saturday will begin at the same time, but will end at 1:00 p.m. Please arrange to stay to the end and schedule outgoing flights after 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.