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Conference Sessions

The Neutrality Delusion: Mediators and Social Change
OPENING KEYNOTE
Friday, March 28 9:15-10:45am
Pershing Salon C & D
Session Description:
From the inception of our field, mediators have promoted two fundamental purposes—helping people work on their disputes in a more productive way and influencing how we handle conflict on a systemic level. While these have been our essential purpose, we have also attached our identity to that of being neutral facilitators with no stake in the outcome of the disputes with which we have working. Ironically, defining ourselves as neutral has not only been misleading, it has interfered with our focus on our more basic purpose. While we may aspire to be neutral, we inevitably have a significant impact on the specific conflicts we work on and more broadly on efforts at social change, whether we wish to or not. While we may wish to see ourselves primarily as resolvers, connectors, and agents of agreement, we are also disrupters—we disrupt patterns of interaction on both interpersonal and systemic levels. Unless we are aware of this, we can’t fulfill our true potential or even evaluate the full impact of our work. In this presentation, we will discuss the lessons we have learned over the past 40 years about our role as disrupters and connectors, as agents of peace and change. We will also look at the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us at this time when we are in the midst of societal turmoil and intense social conflict.
It’s Not About You Until It’s All About You: Disclosure and Immunity
Concurrent Session 1
Friday, March 28 11:00am-12:15pm
Pancho Villa Ballroom
Session Description:
This session will discuss the ethical requirements for mediator disclosures and the potential consequences when mediators are less than forthcoming. Immunity, the first shield often grabbed when the settlement space is revisited as a battlefield, will also be discussed with a focus on recent case law and an examination of sensational stories freshly plucked from the media.

Ethics credit: 1.0

Your Guide to Navigating Technology Tools
Concurrent Session 2
Friday, March 28 11:00am-12:15pm
Pershing Salon A
Session Description:
Today, practitioners have choices in technology tools from comprehensive case management software to specialized apps for tasks like document sharing or scheduling and even AI. The right tools can make you a better mediator, improve the client experience and increase efficiency. This talk will provide a practical guide how to assess the best tech options to fit your needs and ensure ethical compliance, helping you navigate the ever-expanding digital landscape tailored for mediation professionals
Using Conflict Coaching as a Companion to Mediation
Concurrent Session 3
Friday, March 28 11:00am-12:15pm
Pershing Salon B
Session Description:
Mediation alone may not always address the underlying issues or equip individuals with the necessary skills to manage future conflicts independently. Conflict coaching can play a complementary role. Conflict coaching is a one-on-one process that helps individuals develop their conflict resolution skills, gain insights into their conflict styles, and prepare for participation in mediation. By integrating conflict coaching with mediation, we can enhance the overall effectiveness of dispute resolution.
Beyond the Basics: Growing as a Mediator
Concurrent Session 4
Friday, March 28 2:00-3:15pm
Pancho Villa Ballroom
Session Description:
This presentation reviews common mistakes made by new mediators. While training provides theoretical foundations, many skills are honed through practice. Key areas covered include adapting language to various contexts (culture, emotion, and business) and enhancing empathy, focusing on how emotional resilience and self-management impact mediation outcomes.
Owning Your Impact: How Our Biases Affect Our Mediation Practice
Concurrent Session 5
Friday, March 28 2:00-3:15pm
Pershing Salon A
Session Description:
When our biases impact the way we interact with the parties, it can lead to party distrust and compromise the perceived legitimacy of the process. Ultimately, our intentions may be positive and professional, but the outcome can be painful for the parties and the mediation. Participants will discuss how our implicit biases can affect the mediation process and learn how to mitigate those biases before it can impact the parties.

Ethics credit: 1.25

Beyond Words: What Happens When Mediators Listen with More Than Just Their Ears?
Concurrent Session 6
Friday, March 28 2:00-3:15pm
Pershing Salon B
Session Description:
Mediators need to be mindful of their communication style and how they truly listen during the mediation process. Do you rely on facts, intuition, rules, or emotions when listening? The way you listen significantly impacts the mediation and can shape how you engage with the parties involved. Identifying your communication style is crucial, as it helps you recognize potential biases and miscommunication risks. Failing to do so can break trust and unintentionally harm the process.

Ethics credit: .25

Mediators in the Community: Good for Business
Concurrent Session 7
Friday, March 28 3:30-4:45pm
Pancho Villa Ballroom
Session Description:
Mediators should use their knowledge of conflict resolution to benefit their communities and establish strong community ties. Important collaborations can be developed with local non-profits to establish community-based conflict resolution programming. Juvenile courts and probation services seek diversion programs that can make a real difference for the youth they serve. Mediators and the collaborating nonprofits benefit as consumers are more likely to do business with those having strong community ties.
Sometimes Divorce Mediation Needs an Artful Approach
Concurrent Session 8
Friday, March 28 3:30-4:45pm
Pershing Salon A
Session Description:
Amy Colton will speak about client case studies and how she has developed new approaches to handle and schedule the mediation process, especially when things get heated. She will also speak about the benefits of using mediation through the whole divorce process.
LGBTQ+ Issues in Mediation
Concurrent Session 9
Friday, March 28 3:30-4:45pm
Pershing Salon B
Session Description:
So mediators can better serve parties dealing with issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation, this interactive session defines key terms and common experiences. It examines how these topics can come up in mediation, with consideration of ethical implications for mediators. Participants are invited to examine the risk of implicit bias and how to manage this. Finally, we will consider case studies that raise questions of ethics and implicit bias.

Ethics credit: 1.25

Mediation in the Aftermath—Dispute Resolution Professionals Can Impact the Mass Shooting Epidemic
SATURDAY KEYNOTE
Saturday, March 29 8:30-9:45am
Pershing Salon C & D
Session Description:
Unfortunately, our communities are struggling to cope with the tragedy of mass shootings. They are working through more than pain and grief. While navigating critical yet complex discussions around this issue and attempting to restore peace and order to their community, they are honoring and grieving those they've lost. A trauma-informed neutral can help facilitate these conversations and help manage and resolve the conflicts that exist or arise in the aftermath. Let's talk about how.
Mediation and Building an EQ Mindset in the Workplace
Concurrent Session 10
Saturday, March 29 10:00-11:15am
Pershing Salon B
Session Description:
This program will help provide an in-depth discussion and understanding not only the differences of individuals but also a broad overview of cognitive diversity and the benefits of understanding how it relates to our current workforce, management, operations, and employee/employer mediation. Assisting each mediator in deescalating problems and encourage others involved to express their concerns while respecting each other’s views. Understanding mediation is an open dialogue with different perspectives, struggles, and levels of emotional intelligence.
Point C and Divorce: Addressing the Real "Best Interest" of the Child
Concurrent Session 11
Saturday, March 29 10:00-11:15am
Pancho Villa Ballroom
Session Description:
In 2023, a five-minute video entitled “Point C,” authored by a former family court judge, was released as part of a free public educational outreach project and resource for parents and professionals involved in high-conflict divorces, including mediators, counselors, attorneys, and judges. Since then, Point C has been featured by organizations throughout the nation. This session will discuss the potential application of Point C in contentious divorce proceedings.
The Facilitative Mediation Table
Concurrent Session 12
Saturday, March 29 10:00-11:15am
Pershing Salon A
Session Description:
Due to mirror neurons, a “Mediator’s Embrace” resonates with all at the mediation table. Neuroscience reveals that mirror neurons are crucial in learning new skills, absorbing knowledge, and forging profound emotional bonds with others. They even shed light on the motivations behind people's actions (Sutton, 2023). This mirror neuron experience, or embrace, shapes “feeling” of opening statements, joint and private discussions, option negotiation, and settlement agreement drafting.

Ethics credit: .25

Ethical or Not?—Mediators Respond!
CLOSING PLENARY PANEL
Saturday, March 29 11:30am-12:30pm
Pershing Salon C & D
Session Description:
Moderated by the esteemed Gene Roberts, our closing panel of seasoned mediators will help address ethical issues and concerns that arise during and around mediation sessions. The source of this lively discussion will come from attendees ahead of time, so watch for that request to land in your inbox!

Ethics credit: 1.0