I have often been asked what the qualifications of a good mediator are. My answer is self serving but true. I have worked hard to make sure that I am the best qualified to mediate a case. Remember it is not bragging if true. So as to not bore you with all of the qualifications of a good mediator and how I fulfill those qualifications, I will space them out over time.
Good Mediators are attorneys. I have been a full time practicing California attorney since 2001. I am authorized to appear before the California Supreme Court, Northern District of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Therefore I am able to approach a problem looking at the legal issues besides working the parties and their attorneys to resolve those issues.
Good Mediators realize that mediation is much more complex than litigation. In litigation you can just follow the law and ignore personalities and their problems. Many times, there is only one dispute initially presented in mediation, but once mediation there are many legal and non-legal issues that need to be resolved before a global solution can be reached.
Good Mediators have acquired excellent mediation skills. I have hundreds of hours of direct mediation training. I have taught 40-hour and 25-hour mediation classes. Members of the classes have included bench officers (Judges). I have mentored other mediators. I have made many California MCLE presentations on mediation. MCLE is continuing education for attorneys. I have conducted over a thousand mediations with a very high success rate. These have included appellant mediations as well. These are cases where one party has already ‘won’ and they were sent out to mediation by the Court of Appeal.
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