Effective Mediation Advocacy: Skills and Strategies for Litigators
Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Format: In Person
Where: New York City Bar
42 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
Description:
This seminar will teach you how to effectively represent your clients at mediation. Litigators who come to a mediation with the primary goal of convincing their adversary, or the mediator, that their client is “right” tend to miss many of the opportunities mediation presents. Effective advocacy in mediation requires much more than persuasive legal argument. It requires an understanding of the objectives of mediation, familiarity with the mediation process, and well-honed negotiation skills. In this course, litigators will learn the “inside” view, from the perspective of a mediator and ex-litigator, about how to be an effective advocate at each stage of the mediation process. The topics you will explore include: the decision whether and when to mediate; selecting a mediator (e.g., mediator style; background); approaching pre-mediation calls with the mediator; the opportunities and pitfalls of the “joint session”; deploying negotiation skills at the bargaining table; working productively with the mediator; ethical dilemmas in mediation; and the importance of “follow-up” when the parties are unable reach a settlement at the mediation session.
Click Here to View Program Agenda & Faculty
CLE Credit:
New York: 2.0 Skills
New Jersey: 2.2 General
California: 2.0 General
Pennsylvania: 1.5 General
Connecticut: Available to Licensed Attorneys
Program Fee:
$149 for Members | $249 for Nonmembers
Small Law Firm Members: $79
Members who are Law Students, Recent Law Graduates, Newly Admitted Lawyers (admitted for the first time in any state or country 2024-2026), In-House/Corporate Counsel, Judges, and attorneys who practice within the Government, Academic or Not-for-Profit sectors attend this program for free.
For New York Newly Admitted Attorneys: Skills credits completed after December 31, 2025, must be completed in the traditional live classroom setting or by fully interactive videoconference. City Bar Webinar programs are not considered a fully interactive videoconference. Please see the CLE Format Requirements for Newly Admitted Attorneys for additional information.
For New York Attorneys: This program is a transitional/non-transitional course.
Program Instructor:
Marc Isserles, Mediator and Arbitrator, JAMS
Sponsoring Association Committee:
Alternative Dispute Resolution, Susan E. Salazar, Chair
Information about our Financial Aid Policy and Application can be found here.