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Could we have lunch sometime? I have been thinking that I would like to be a mediator, and I was wondenng if you could give me an hour of your time so that I can learn to do what y ou do.
Every experienced mediator has fielded such a phone call on many occasions. Often the caller is an older litigation attorney who has participated in several mediations and has come to believe that mediation is better than litigation. Sometimes the caller is younger - someone who has experienced mediation through a law school course, community service, or work as a second chair in a mediation. Sometimes the caller is a person who has heard and rejected the old advice, "Don't give up your day job."
In all cases, many people want to know how to enter a profession that has no prescribed path. This article focuses on the basics - the recommended first steps for those who want to enter this field.
1. Write a short essay to yourself. Topics: Why I want to be a mediator and why anyone would employ me as a mediator. The purpose of this essay is to answer these questions for yourself. Many people muse about mediation and whether they have the right stuff and should try to be a mediator. There is no correct answer to these questions. Those who actually decide to become mediators usually have diverse reasons for doing so and varied packages of skills or experience to offer. The answers you give yourself will help shape what you then do to fulfill your goals. Continue with the next steps only if you feel a strong personal sense of commitment, even passion, about your desire to be a mediator.
2. Write your mediator bio. Take a current bio or CV, keep your name, delete all remaining text, and save as "My mediation bio." Go online to websites for mediation service providers and read 20 to 30 different mediators' bios from three or more websites. Pick the best samples and create your template. When you start to write your own bio, you will necessarily have many gaps in your training and experience. Filling in those gaps with real substance is the beginning of your...