Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

How participants at the 2010 AAA Neutrals’ Conference addressed ways to improve mediation in order to meet the needs of the parties.

At the request of the American Arbitration Association, we facilitated two sessions on the topic of “What Attorneys and Their Clients Want Most from Mediators” at the AAA Neutrals’ Confer ence held in Champions Gate, Fla., on Nov. 5 and 6, 2010. Approximately 60 mediators attended each session and at both of them there was a spirited and interesting discussion about what mediators believe the parties and their counsel consider the most desirable attributes of a mediator and how mediators can develop some of these attributes in themselves. Many of the mediators in attendance were attorneys and the great majority of them had experience in representing parties in mediation. The participation of these experienced advocates helped develop the advocate perspective on the issue of desirable mediator traits.