Putting ADR on your radar

Intrigued by the practice of alternate dispute resolution? Panelists on “Putting ADR on Your Radar: Pursuing Careers in Mediation and Arbitration” relayed their personal experiences in ADR and gave pointers for transitioning into the field at the ABA Young Lawyers Division Spring Conference in April.

“Generally, you want to find your passion and make it into a career,” said panelist Homer LaRue, Howard University School of Law. “That’s how I transitioned into ADR.”

ADR generally includes negotiation, mediation, collaborative law and arbitration. Since ADR isn’t a typical requirement for graduation from law school, many lawyers gain experience on their own.

“Don’t be scared of training opportunities,” said panelist Michael Lewis, senior associate of the Center for Dispute Settlement, which offers training programs in negotiation, mediation and other methods of settling disputes. “Lots of programs train for free in exchange for your services. Look around where you live and work. Any decent-sized city will at least have mediation opportunities available.”

LaRue agreed but cautioned lawyers to avoid training programs that are primarily in a lecture-discussion format. The role-playing element is crucial to the development of your negotiating skills, he said.

LaRue went on to mention that there are three things you can do to better position yourself for selection of an arbitration panel. First, develop an area of expertise and fine tune your ADR skills by doing pro bono work. This will give you the necessary preparation. Second, figure out what it is about ADR that you really enjoy and hone in on it. Third, keep up on current issues and trends in ADR and build a local network of arbitrators and mediators.

Panelists noted that arbitration and mediation are similar in nature but take different skill sets. In arbitration, an expertise in subject matter is needed; whereas in mediation, individuals need to be process experts. Panelist Jean Baker, American Arbitration Association, noted that it’s easier for a young lawyer to create a good reputation as a mediator than it is to break into arbitration with little experience.

More information on the practice of ADR can be found in this session’s program materials. Also, the Section of Dispute Resolution offers other resources, including an online list of training providers.

In addition to LaRue, Lewis and Baker, panelists included Nancy Lesser, Pax ADR LLC; and Assata N. Peterson, Dennis T. Schoen P.C.

“Putting ADR on Your Radar: Pursuing Careers in Mediation and Arbitration” was presented by the Young Lawyers Division as well as the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution.

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