How To Effectively Use Mediation to Resolve Legal and Other Disputes

Join us at 4:00 PM on Monday, November 7th at Suffolk University Law School's David J. Sargent Hall (located at 120 Tremont Street) in the Faculty Dining Room, (495F) for a discussion on effectively using mediation. Refreshments will follow!

Mediation is by far the most common vehicle for settling legal disputes both before and during litigation. It is the rare case that does not go to mediation at some point. In this program, a very experienced panel of mediators will discuss how to use mediation to your advantage. The four topics to be addressed are as follows:

I. Mediation 101

--What is mediation, how does it arise, the logistics of mediation, pre-mediation activities, the timing of mediation (so-called early mediation)

II. The Opening Session

--Whether to make an opening statement, whether to have a joint opening session, best practices for the opening session

III. Mediation Strategies

--What to do if impasse, how to deal with unreasonable party/counsel, what if negotiations regress

IV. Evaluative Strategies

--How to respond to or request an opinion of the mediator (like a former judge), mediator proposals