17th Annual Colorado ADR Conference Out of Stock
New Horizons for ADR: Expanding the Profession and Elevating Our Skills
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Join us for the 17th Annual Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference, New Horizons for ADR: Expanding the Profession and Elevating Our Skills, featuring breakout sessions for new and experienced mediators, domestic relations mediators and other civil mediators, as well as an ethics panel, EDI credits, and a session on how AI will impact the future of mediation. You are sure to leave with new skills and ideas to implement in your practice.
- Keynote address by Colin Rule, technologist and mediator, “Me, Myself, and AI: Integrating the Fourth Party into the Future of Mediation.”
- Simultaneous breakout sessions to satisfy both the domestic relations focused and other civil mediator and arbitrator.
- For the newer mediator, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Colorado Law on Mediation.”
- Our annual favorite ethics panel brought to you by theMAC returns.
CBA-CLE will email webinar access information to registrants 24-48 hours before the program.
Home studies will be available approximately 2-3 weeks following the live program.
If disability accommodations or special assistance are needed, please contact us at [email protected]. Requests must be made at least two weeks prior to the scheduled program.
The program will be submitted for CLE accreditation in Colorado. If you need to seek accreditation in another state, please review the process and requirements for that individual state. CBA-CLE staff can provide a Uniform Certificate of Attendance, and it is the attendee’s responsibility to complete the accreditation outside of Colorado.
Thank you to our Sponsors!
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Soberlink
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"Well, That Went Sideways" Podcast
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Gold
Soberlink
Silver
"Well, That Went Sideways" Podcast
8:00 – 8:25 am
Registration
8:30 – 9:30 am
Welcome and Breakout Sessions
Choose from Breakout Session #1 or #2 during registration.
Session 1
The Future of ADR: The Mediator as Peace Finder
Our country is in a high conflict mode. We are experiencing political disagreements, school shootings, and community violence. The atmosphere is particularly hazardous for families and children. We see a significant rise in mental illness, suicides, school failures and increased violence. How do we address this horrific problem? One way is through mediation. After consideration of the standards set for in the lawyer’s Oath of Admission and the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators, participants will learn how to incorporate peace principles into the typical divorce mediation practice, how to educate families and guide them away from violence, and how to use trauma-informed methods to help clients enter the realm of constructive peace. This is the future of Dispute Resolution.
Presented by Joan McWilliams, Esq., McWilliams Mediation LTD.
Submitted for .2 Professionalism Credits
Session 2
The Evolution of ADR: Developing Literacy in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity for Ethical Mediation Practice in Pursuit of Peace and Understanding (Not Just a Settlement)
This session is intended to provide mediation practitioners with tools to mitigate the adverse effects of unconscious bias, microaggressions, power imbalances, cultural differences, and conflicting values. Ethical mediation practice requires literacy in equity, diversity, and inclusivity. Such literacy enables mediators to provide a mediation process that is fair and respects the diverse population seeking alternatives to costly litigation. Sometimes to elevate our skills, we look to our origins. Learn simple ways to implement restorative practices (which originate from the Native and Indigenous Peacekeeping traditions) into your facilitation skills. Together, we can increase collective peace by forging a path for individual transformation and community restoration. Explore with us the potential to expand your ADR horizons into the realm of workplace management, assisting young students in educational settings, or guiding individuals in the criminal justice system who want to learn from their mistakes. Elevate your skills, elevate peace and understanding.
Presented by Melora Bentz, Esq., Middle Path Mediation, LLC, and Wesley Parks, Esq., University of Denver - Sturm College of Law and Colorado Department of Law.
Submitted for 1.2 EDI Credits
9:35 – 10:50 am
Mediation Ethics Panel
As in years past, the Ethics Committee of the Mediation Association of Colorado will offer a panel discussion of mediator ethics. Panelists will review fictional scenarios and give their opinions of the ethical issues practitioners should be mindful of if faced with similar circumstances in their mediation practice. Though not an exhaustive list, the following are areas that will likely be discussed by the panel:
- Party autonomy and self-determination in mediation
- Duty to disclose potential or existing conflicts of interest
- Confidentiality
- Advertising
- Mediator competence and training
Presented by The Honorable Angela R. Arkin (ret.), Judicial Arbiter Group; German Velasco, Velasco Outreach, LLC; Amber Hill Anderson, Hilltop Mediation, LLC; and Steven Clymer, Accord ADR Group.
Moderated by Antonia (Toni) D. Ozeroff, JD, Ozeroff Mediation Services, LLC.
Submitted for 1.5 Ethics Credit
10:50 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Me, Myself, and AI: Integrating the Fourth Party into the Future of Mediation
Keynote speaker Colin Rule will address how technology has transformed, is transforming, and will transform the practice of ADR, specifically addressing opportunities and ethical challenges.
Presented by Colin Rule, Resourceful Internet Solutions, Inc.
Sponsored by the CBA ADR Section and the Mediation Association of Colorado.
12:00 – 12:45 pm
Lunch Break with Remarks
Boxed lunch provided with in-person registration.
- CBA Immediate Past President Ryann Peyton
- DBA President Nicoal Sperrazza
- CBA ADR Section President
- The Mediation Association of Colorado
- Office of Dispute Resolution
- DBA Metro Volunteer Lawyers
12:45 –2:00 pm
Welcome and Breakout Sessions
Choose from Breakout Session #3 or #4 during registration.
Session 3
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Colorado Law on Mediation
What is the statutory and case law framework for Colorado mediations? What are the key court cases? When do you really have an enforceable mediation settlement? What parts of mediation are confidential? What are some ethical issues and pitfalls? This is a helpful and practical session for all!
Presented by Steven C. Choquette, Esq., JAMS Denver.
Session 4
Getting Unstuck: Working through Impasses in Mediation and Negotiation
When negotiations have reached a deadlock, our instincts often tell us to do the opposite of what works. In this session, we will learn about what to do (and what not to do) in the familiar but dreaded situation where negotiations have reached an impasse. This session will specifically focus on the mediation setting but equally applies to negotiations outside of mediation. Learning objectives include
1. Identify what constitutes an impasse in mediation/negotiation, what causes impasses, and what factors leading up to the impasse contribute to deadlock.
2. Establish potential solutions for mediators and negotiators to explore once they’ve reached an impasse and thus create a toolkit for solving the problem.
a. Explore how to protect self-determination in mediation sessions.
b. Identify how to probe the parties’ real needs, motives, and goals.
c. Develop motivational interviewing techniques to move the parties toward settlement.
d. Learn how to assess and re-establish the priorities and the stakes for the negotiation.
Presented by Shannon A.R. Allen, Esq., Anderson Allen LLC.
2:00 – 2:15 pm
Break
2:15 – 3:30 pm
Welcome and Breakout Sessions
Choose from Breakout Session #5 and #6 during registration.
Session 5
Change Your Language and Change Your Outcomes: The Power of a Mediator’s Words in DR Cases.
The language of divorce is full of negative connotations. As mediators, we are thoughtful about word choice, but we necessarily use the words and language of divorce that is both commonly used and that is part of the statutes. But we also know that the language we choose, and particularly the words that we use in mediation, can have an outsized impact on parties who are going through a divorce. And we also know that post-divorce families can’t truly turn in different ways when there are children or complicated financial dealings. By changing the questions we ask and the words we use to describe the relationships among the parents and each of their children, and by thoughtfully applying descriptive language that is clear and less negative than what we may commonly use, we can have an outsized impact on the family’s future, and can influence how the parties will fare after the divorce, and whether they will return to court with post-decree issues or not.
As a result of this session, the participants will:
(1) Identify the word choices that can be problematic and provide negative connotations for parties that can inhibit the family’s restructuring in a positive way after divorce;
(2) Learn specific motivational interviewing techniques that can be used in the context of mediation to encourage healthier relationships between the parents of children post-decree;
(3) Practice changing language in the context of a mock mediation to learn how to make the words we use clear and helpful to the family’s post-divorce lives; and
4) Develop an individualized action plan for the choices of words and techniques that participants will use going forward to be sure that their agreements work for the long-term.
This session will be useful for new and experienced mediators who are looking for a different approach that can help make people “self-governing” in family law cases. The teaching method will be interactive and will include a mock mediation with notes that participants may reference after the session. Participants will be expected to create an action plan at the conclusion of the training for how they will each change their word choices in court and in orders, and how they can apply motivational interviewing techniques to domestic relations cases.
Presented by The Honorable Julie Field (ret.), Consilium Institute, and Julia Kneeland Lazure, Esq., Kneeland & Lazure Law, LLC.
Session 6
Help Me Help You: How All the Players Can Help Construction Mediations Move Toward Resolution
Construction mediation tends to involve multiple players; in addition to the mediator, each side has lawyers, in-house counsel, in-house businesspeople, and insurance company representatives at the table. All participants have roles to play, and each can help the mediation move toward–or away from– resolution. Learn about tried-and-true methods plus new ideas from veteran construction mediation participants. The presentation panel will answer the following questions:
1. What is the role of the various players in construction mediation?
2. How can each participant give the mediator the tools they need to work towards a resolution?
3. How can the mediator give the party participants the tools they need to work toward a resolution?
4. What to do about decision makers who are not present at the mediation?
5. What are some new techniques being used in construction mediations?
6. How does the new prevalence of on-line mediations change the dynamics of construction mediations?
Presented by Jennifer Arnett, Esq., Arnett Litigation, LLC; Steven C. Choquette, Esq., JAMS Denver; Jason Greves, Esq., M.A. Mortenson Company; and Tom Doyle, Tokio Marine HCC.
3:30 – 3:40 pm
Break
3:40 - 4:55 pm
Welcome and Breakout Sessions
Choose from Breakout Sessions #7, #8, and #9 during registration.
Session 7
The Art of Setting Boundaries in Mediation: An Essential Skill for Facilitating Meaningful Dialogue (Live Only)
CANCELLED
Session 8
Relationship Mediation: An Alternative for Couples Who Need Help Working Through Issues
A combination of mediation and coaching can be a present-focused, solution-oriented process that works well for some couples who are not drawn to a therapy model for working through relationship difficulties.
Attendees will learn how mediation can be an effective format for couples to work through relationship difficulties, as an adjunct or an alternative to couple therapy. Attendees will learn the differences between relationship mediation and couple therapy; the structure of a course of relationship mediation; specific guidelines for how couples can engage in difficult conversations; how to use caucuses to build trust and lay the groundwork for the most difficult conversations; the importance of establishing goals and commitments at the outset; and some transformative relational practices that can be provided to couples for work outside and inside mediation sessions. Warning: some of this may lead to better relationships for the participants!
Presented by Peter Fabish, JD, MEd, Conscious Family Law & Mediation.
Session 9
Arbitration Myths & Insights
In this session, presenters will dispel common myths about arbitration; discuss how to draft an effective arbitration clause thereby mitigating the risks and consequences of a poorly drafted arbitration clause; and review key events in arbitration proceedings with an eye toward common mistakes.
Presented by Julie M. Walker, Esq., Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, P.C., and Lance K. Tanaka, American Arbitration Association, Denver Regional Office
4:55 - 5:00 pm
Closing Remarks
5:00 – 6:00 pm
Cocktail Reception
Sponsored by Mediation Association of Colorado.
- CLE Pass Price *FREE! - exclusions may apply
- Standard Price $690.00 USD
- Member Price $520.00 USD
- General Credits 12.00
- Ethics Credits 1.70
- EDI Credits 1.20