Mediation Training Program
In partnership with NVMS Conflict Resolution Center (new window), CTL offers a mediation training program for Georgetown University graduate students. This exciting hands-on program includes an interactive classroom component and practical mediation experience. Graduate students from a range of schools and programs including McCourt, SFS, GSAS, and the Law Center are already participating in this program.
This course will be available for credit in Fall 2021.
“Applied learning with direct feedback – and having practitioners teach us – was a treat!”
Mediation Program Trainee
About the Program
Participating students develop the skills needed to serve as a neutral mediator in collaborative dispute resolution. The hands-on group training component will focus on managing emotions, active listening, helping parties draft agreements, and mediator ethics. In the observation and practicum components, students will apply mediator skills to real-life scenarios.
Students participate in the following activities over the Fall 2021 semester (registration will take place in Spring 2021):
- Mediation Training: Over a 6-day training students will learn a four-step model of mediation and the skills necessary to support parties through the process.
- Mediation Observation: Students will observe 2 half-days of mediation sessions to learn from professional mediators.
- Mentored Co-Mediation: Students will be paired with mentors online or in Fairfax, VA to co-mediate 3-5 sessions and put into practice skills learned at the training.
Participants must commit to participating in all three pieces of this training, including the mentored co-mediation experience. Students who complete this program will be eligible for mediation certification in the Virginia court system.
Students who are not taking the course for credit are required to pay a $200 fee to enroll in the program. This fee reflects a significant subsidy by CTL and covers the cost of the entire program, including the training, observations, and co-mediations with experienced mentors.
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS MEDIATION?
Mediation is a collaborative process for resolving disputes. Conflicting parties are assisted by a neutral third party (the mediator) in finding mutually agreeable solutions.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Anyone interested in building practical skills needed to create a comfortable and confidential environment for parties in dispute to discuss contentious issues. By the end of the program, participants will have experience outlining issues at the heart of a given dispute, keeping conversations moving forward, and helping parties brainstorm possible solutions. Dispute resolution skills learned in this program can be used in any context from personal to professional. By the end of the program, all participants will be “trained mediators.” Those interested in mediating in the Virginia court system can become “certified mediators.”
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO TAKE THIS COURSE FOR CREDIT?
This program is available as a 3-credit course. If you are interested in taking this as a formal course, please factor 3 credits into your registration plans for Fall 2021.
HOW CAN I USE THESE SKILLS OUTSIDE OF THE COURT CONTEXT?
Dispute resolution skills learned in this program can be used in any context from personal to professional. Whether you are planning to be a diplomat, policy advisor or entrepreneur, this program will help you build essential active listening and consensus building tools. By the end of this 3-part program, all participants will have satisfied requirements to become “certified mediators.”
I’M SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED IN ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR) IN THE COURT SYSTEM. IS THIS PROGRAM FOR ME?
Yes! For students specifically interested in ADR, this program includes in-court mentorship. Students must co-mediate 3-5 court sessions in the Fall 2021 semester at the Fairfax General District Court or using online dispute resolution.
CAN THIS PROGRAM APPLY TOWARD PRO BONO HOURS FOR LAW STUDENTS?
Hours may be applied toward the Georgetown Law Center pro bono pledge. Please contact us if you would like to discuss pro bono hours further. The program likely will not apply to pro bono hours required for state Bar admission.
WHAT TYPES OF CASES WOULD I MEDIATE IN COURT?
- Typical issues: landlord/tenant, contract, debt, business-to-business, neighborhood.
- Amount in dispute: $25,000 or less
- Includes three courts: Small Claims Court (no attorneys present), Landlord-Tenant Court (attorneys present), and General District Court (attorneys may or may not be present)
WILL I BE A CERTIFIED MEDIATOR UPON COMPLETION OF THIS PROGRAM?
Mediation certification varies by state and/or district. Anyone who completes all 3 phases of this program will be certified to mediate in the Virginia court system (see below for certification requirements). If you plan to mediate elsewhere upon completion of your co-mediation experience, you may need to fulfill requirements specific to that jurisdiction. Please let us know if you have any questions about certification.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDIATION CERTIFICATION?
The following requirements should be completed within 6 months of the initial training but in special circumstances can be completed within 2 years.
Pre-requisite: Bachelor’s degree OR equivalent work experience (contact the Dispute Resolution Service at the Supreme Court of Virginia for more information – (804) 786-6455)
Training: Mediation Training at Georgetown
Mentorship:
- Observations
- One (1) full day of mediation observation, conducted by a mentor mediator
- Co-mediations
- Must complete a total of at least 3 co-mediations and 5 hours, and act as the scrivener for at least one agreement
WHAT DOES THE $200 FEE PAY FOR?
Participants who are not taking the course for credit are required to pay a $200 fee. This fee, which reflects a significant subsidy by CTL, covers the cost of the training, observations, and co-mediations with experienced mentors.