Into the Mind of a Master Mediator: A Litigator's Peek Behind the Curtain

Counsel who have been through mediations have no doubt seen a variety of mediator “moves” that have made them scratch their head. This can range from, “How did they know that?!” to “What in the world are they thinking?!” In the timing of that moment, it’s often a distraction to stop and ask the mediator. And, if your negotiation is ongoing, you may not want to. Additionally, at best, counsel only see one side of the mediator’s strategy and discussion. Counsel say they often wonder what the mediator is doing and saying in the other room.

This workshop will be one full hour of your questions, as you want to pose them to Master Mediator Lee Jay Berman. You can ask anything you want to about the mediation process, and he will give you his answers. While Lee Jay can’t speak for all mediators, he can likely tell you what that mediator may have been trying to do, or what other mediators might have done in the same situation. You have one hour of complete transparency – a peek behind the curtain and into the mind of the mediator. We hope you’ll make good use of it!

This will be an interactive presentation. Attendees are encouraged to engage with the speaker, ask questions, and participate via video.

About the Presenter
Lee Jay Berman began his full-time mediation practice over 30 years ago, and has been ranked in Chambers USA’s Band 1 (top 16 commercial mediators in the US), Who’s Who Legal’s Global Thought Leaders in Mediation (1 of 10 in North America), ADR Times’ inaugural Who’s Who in ADR. The Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel awarded him 2024 Counsel of the Year for Excellence in ADR, the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals named him their inaugural Distinguished Neutral of the Year in 2017, California’s Daily Journal twice named him Top Neutral, and the Southern California Mediation Association bestowed their 2021 Cloke-Millen Peacemaker of the Year Award and 2012 Randolph Lowry Award for being a thought leader in southern California mediation. He was Director of Pepperdine’s “Mediating the Litigated Case” program for 7 years before leaving to launch the American Institute of Mediation in 2009. He has mediated and trained mediators all over the world, and he has the answers to your toughest “stump the mediator” questions. Look for him on the American Arbitration Association panels, and a variety of other panels.