mediation training for lawyers
People often ask me how they should go about learning the basics of mediation. I’ve received some formal mediation training, but have built much of my knowledge base on the job. Whether you’d like to be a mediator or just want to educate yourself about the process, this article provides some good pointers on how to choose a mediation training program. Here are three highlights: (1) “There is no uniform regulatory scheme governing the practice of mediation,” so you’ll need to “find out what requirements or qualifications standards for mediators are specified by the state you plan to practice in;” (2) There are several types of mediation, including facilitative, evaluative and transformative (you can learn more about them here). Because each comes with its own philosophical slant, rules and strategies, it’s important to ascertain which mediation model a given program will teach participants;(3) Do your homework by researching the instructors’ credentials and qualifications before you sign on. Ask questions: “What kind of work do they do in the mediation field? What types of cases do they mediate? How long have they been mediating? What kind of advanced training have they had? How long has the organization offering training been providing mediation and training services? How many individuals have they trained?” The piece goes on to overview the typical training curriculum and costs and gives some program locator tips.
