The course approaches the study and practice of negotiation, mediation, and dispute resolution from four perspectives; skill development; practice theory; and the law. Initial classes explore alternate dispute resolution processes with particular emphasis on negotiation. The course focus then shifts to mediation process and the skills needed for mediators to assist parties in resolving issues. This course also addresses mediation regulations and trends and examines the role of the mediator, including ethical responsibilities, explicit authority and limitations. Participants will consider and experience mediation from the perspective of advocates representing clients in mediation. This course enables participants to learn, integrate, and apply the knowledge and skills of negotiation, dispute resolution and multi-party mediation. Participants in the class will be able to: (a) assess when to use mediation; (b) advise clients about the process and potential of mediation; (c) assist clients effectively before, during, and after mediation; and (d) demonstrate the skills necessary to be an effective mediator.
The instructor uses diverse training methods to address different learning styles, including: (a) lectures; (b) group discussions; (c) mediation simulations; (d) role plays and mock negotiations; (e) videos of simulated or actual meditations; (f) other structured participatory activities. Participants will complete 45 hours of in-class training and at least one outside-of-class mediation exercises. Participants will observe different types of simulated and videotaped mediation or negotiation sessions to evaluate behavior of disputants and mediators. A minimum of 40 percent of training hours shall be spent in participatory activities, defined as supervised and structured activities that require interaction among two or more people. These exercises are designed for students to develop their negotiation and mediation skills.
Mediation training is organized in a way that guarantees that each participant receives individual attention and feedback for improving her/his skills to assure that each participant can finish the course with a realistic understanding of her/his abilities as a mediator. The course has been designed so that the practice portion of the course fulfills requirements for a “Certificate of Completion” of the Texas Mediator Trainer Roundtable standards for a forty-hour ‘Basic Mediation” course, so a person can achieve the initial steps to be certified as a Mediator in Texas based on the mediator training requirements under Texas ADR Act.