Mediated Settlement Conference (MSC) N.C. Superior Court Training, 40 hours

This fall, The Mediation Center will offer a 40-hour, in-person Mediated Settlement Conference (MSC) Superior Court Mediator training. The training will fulfill the 40-hour training requirement for the NC Dispute Resolution Commission's Superior Court mediator certification process. The training will take place from Monday, October 20, through Friday, October 24, from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM.

The first two days of the training – Monday and Tuesday - are approved by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission as the MSC 16-Hour Supplemental Training. You may qualify to meet the MSC training requirement with only the 16-hour supplement if one of the following applies to you:

• You are currently a certified North Carolina FFS mediator wanting to become an MSC mediator (no DRC pre-approval required)
• You are a lawyer who previously completed another state's 40-hour MSC training and would like approval in NC (DRC pre-approval letter required)
• You were previously certified as a North Carolina MSC mediator, and your certification has lapsed by more than three, but less than seven, years (no DRC pre-approval required)

Before registering, please review the threshold requirements for education and work experience here. You may register for the training right away if you are a licensed attorney in NC or elsewhere and have at least five years of legal practice experience. Non-attorneys and mediators from other states must provide a provisional pre-training letter from the NC Dispute Resolution Commission to The Mediation Center before registering to demonstrate that they have been pre-approved.

Contact the NC DRC to learn more about mediator certification requirements and approval processes.

Registration fees include lunches and light refreshments.

All proceeds benefit The Mediation Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides community mediation and family visitation services in Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, and Polk counties.

Sarah Corley is an attorney licensed in Georgia and California, and a mediator with more than 20 years of experience. She began her career as a lawyer specializing in litigation and employment law. In 1996, she started her own mediation practice, MediationWorks NC, and has worked as private mediator ever since. She is certified by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission in Superior Court, Family Financial and Clerk of Court mediation, and serves on the panel of mediators for federal district court and the United States Postal Service. She is a member of the NC Academy of Superior Court Mediators and the NC Association of Professional Family Mediators.

Tara Lynn Kozlowski is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. She has been with the Commission since July of 2018. Prior to working with the Dispute Resolution Commission, Mrs. Kozlowski was a family law litigator and mediator, practicing with a small firm in Wake County, North Carolina. Mrs. Kozlowski obtained a Bachelor in Science degree in Chemistry from Indiana University, and her J.D. from The University of Toledo College of Law in 2006. She lives in Apex, North Carolina with her husband, their two daughters, and a yellow lab.

Sharon Tracey Barrett is a retired Superior Court Judge and a former Buncombe County District Court Judge. She currently serves as an Associate Judge and Justice for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and as an Emergency Superior Court Judge. Through a practice called Barrett Resolutions, Sharon now works as a mediator and arbitrator. She is a member of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. She graduated cum laude from Boston College in 1983 and received her J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986. She practiced law in Asheville for nineteen years, focusing primarily on civil litigation, until she became a judge in 2005. From 2002-2003, she was President of the Buncombe County Bar. She served for many years on the board of directors of The Mediation Center.

Laura Jeffords, MPA, is the Executive Director of the Mediation Center. Laura has over 18 years of experience as a professional mediator and mediation trainer. She leads the Mediation Center’s DRC-certified training program for District Criminal Court Mediation. She has trained hundreds of community members to mediate criminal court, family, Pr*son re-entry, and neighborhood conflict. She works with district courts in Western North Carolina to ensure that people who access the criminal courts to address family, neighborhood, and community conflict have the opportunity to use mediation instead. Laura has a particular interest in mediating organizational conflicts, conflicts where violence has occurred, and conflicts rooted in issues of race and gender. She collaborates with community mediation colleagues from around the country to lead seminars that encourage mediators to think more deeply about issues of race and bias in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution. She is certified in the Inclusive Mediation model, which is a radically nonjudgmental approach to mediation that prioritizes self-determination, violence prevention, and party relationships. Laura is also a certified Medicaid Appeals mediator.

Fred Barbour has lived and practiced law in Asheville for more than 36 years. For the first two thirds of his practice, he spent most of his time in the courtroom in hearings and trials, or outside the courtroom investigating cases and preparing them for trial. Since then, he has focused on mediation. His experience gives him perspective in counseling clients to make choices likely to lead to favorable resolution of their conflicts and helps him serve more effectively as a mediator guiding discussions about settlement. While each case and each mediation is different, his extensive experience informs his interactions with clients and attorneys and increases the odds of successful settlements.

Clifford "Kip" Marshall is a founding shareholder and the President of Marshall, Roth & Gregory, PC and has practiced law for more than 40 years in Asheville and the western region of North Carolina. He is admitted before all the courts of the State of NC, the Cherokee Supreme Court, Eastern Band of Cherokee, the U.S. District Court for the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of NC and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. He is a certified NC Superior Court mediator and has been called to mediate matters arising in the NC courts and federal district courts.

Frank Goldsmith operates a mediation and arbitration practice under the name Goldsmith Resolutions, based in Buncombe County. He is a graduate of Davidson College and received his J.D. with honors from UNC-Chapel Hill, following which he served as an Army captain (JAGC) during the Vietnam Era before entering civilian litigation practice. Frank became certified as a mediator in 1996. He has mediated hundreds of state and federal cases in the past 25+ years. He has consistently been named among the “Best Lawyers in America,” “Super Lawyers,” and “North Carolina Legal Elite” in the field of alternate dispute resolution. He served on the Boards of Governors of both the NC Bar Association and the NC Advocates for Justice. He was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1994.

You may transfer your registration to another person at no cost at any time.

Do not request refunds from Eventbrite. E-mail [email protected] to request a refund.

Cancellation Timelines – Please note that ticketing and processing fees are not refundable at any time

• At least 60 days prior – Refund of amount paid except for ticketing and processing fees
• At least 30 days but less than 60 days prior – 75% refund. Coupon code for 25% off one future training*
• At least 15 days but less than 30 days prior – 50% refund. Coupon code for 50% off one future training*
• Less than 15 days prior – 25% refund. Coupon code for 25% off one future training*

*Coupon codes expire in 24 months from the last day of the scheduled training and have no cash value

We have a hotel block at the Embassy Suites Asheville Downtown for the upcoming Superior Court Mediator Training to be held in March 2026. The rate is $121/night. The room block reservation cut-off date is February 18th, 2026. RESERVE YOUR ROOM NOW: Superior Court Mediator Training Room Block

Info: "Conflict and Resolution: What Mediators Need to Know" provides a comprehensive guide for mediators, covering key concepts in conflict theory and practical approaches to conflict resolution. It begins by defining conflict. The presentation emphasizes understanding conflict styles, noting that individuals can move between styles in different situations. These styles include competing (prioritizing outcome over relationships), accommodating (prioritizing relationships over outcomes), avoiding (ignoring the conflict), compromising (finding a middle ground), and collaborating (finding a win-win solution). Each style's appropriateness varies based on the context and the individuals involved. The presentation outlines the stages of mediation, each with its unique approach and focus.

Info: "Getting Mediation Started: Setting the Stage for Settlement" outlines the critical steps and strategies for initiating a successful mediation process. It emphasizes the importance of the mediator's role in establishing a welcoming and professional atmosphere from the start. The MSC program rules about the mediator’s opening is detailed, as well as confidentiality and the differences between mediation and other conflict resolution methods. The presentation also discusses different types of opening sessions, such as full joint sessions, partial "meet and greet" sessions, and all-caucus sessions, allowing flexibility based on the case dynamics.

Info: "Statutes and Rules for MSC Mediators" covers various topics including the Superior Court Mediation Training, MSC Forms, Rules for Mediated Settlement Conferences in North Carolina, Mediator Certification and Decertification, Initiating Settlement Events, Duties of Parties, Attorneys, and Other Parties, Sanctions, Authority and Duties of the Mediator, and more. It discusses where to find the statutes, rules, and forms for MSC mediations. Other topics include the process of designation and withdrawal of mediators, responsibilities of parties and attorneys during mediation, and the consequences of non-compliance with mediator fees or attendance. The presentation emphasizes the importance of following regulations and guidelines to ensure successful mediation outcomes in Superior Court matters in North Carolina.

Info: In Part One of "Standards of Professional Conduct," Kozlowski overviews the requirements of the NC Standards of Professional Conduct for Mediators related to confidentiality. This hours will review the detailed requirements for maintaining confidentiality of all information obtained within the mediation process, as well as the exceptions set forth in the statutes and rules. Kozlowski discusses real-life scenarios to help individuals understand what maintaining confidentiality looks like in practice.

Info: "The Culture of Insured Claims" provides information about mediating Superior Court cases involving insured claims, and highlights how these cases can differ from other types of conflict. Attendees will learn about how insured claims involve participants who are insurance company representatives who bring a different perspective and approach to the mediation process than the litigants who are personally involved. Recommendations will be included for mediation techniques that take this distinct culture into account.

Info: "Stages of the Mediation Process" outlines the various stages of the mediation process as well as various formats for mediation available to mediators. The presentation discusses the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing the caucus format, and how that process evolves from the beginning to the conclusion of a mediation. Attendees will learn more about the specific stages of mediation with a detailed explanation of the mediator's responsibilities at each stage.

Info: "Mediator's Bag of Tricks" covers various key strategies and techniques crucial for effective mediation. It begins with building rapport among participants, emphasizing the importance of establishing a relationship early, listening actively, and creating a positive environment. The presentation also delves into drawing out interests and goals from parties, highlighting the significance of understanding each party's priorities through active listening and non-leading questions. Furthermore, the presentation explores the concepts of BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) and WATNA (Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) to help mediators guide parties in evaluating their options realistically. Reality testing is a crucial component, where mediators use questions to help parties assess the strengths and weaknesses of their cases and understand the potential outcomes.

Info: "Logistical Issues in Mediation" covers a variety of frustrating scenarios that a mediator may encounter. Specifically, the presentation will discuss challenges related to mediators' control of the conference, obstacles regarding the mediator’s duty to timely schedule mediations, and distinctions between cases where mediators are designated or appointed. Throughout the presentation, the presenters will outline the requirements for mediators as well as the best strategies for effectively responding to address issues that may arise in accordance with requirements.

Info: Part of acting as a mediator is developing strategies for handling seemingly impassible differences between parties. In this session, Kip Marshall will discuss why impasse happens in mediation, strategies to move dramatic differences towards settlement, and what do to when impasse does occur. Specifically, the session explores strategies to normalize and summarize progress, change the players or the venue, provide a way out with dignity, employ evaluative tools, utilizing bracket offers, logrolling, double-blind proposals, among others.

Info: This is a portion of the program covering mediation processes and techniques. These hours address how to recognize and respond to attitudes and behaviors that can fuel conflict, create hostility and cloud judgment at mediation. The approach will address two overall themes: human emotion and cognitive bias. Mediation techniques will be covered for how to interact with participants experiencing strong emotions at mediation. In addition, practical methods for helping participants whose cognitive biases might otherwise interfere with thoughtful and informed decision-making at mediation.

Info: This hour offers mediators' techniques for helping parties understand their options at mediation as compared to the possible outcomes at trial. Participants will learn how to calculate and communicate the costs and benefits of settlement weighed against the risks, uncertainties and expense of continued litigation. Developing the ability to quantify and articulate the possible outcomes can help parties make more thoughtful and informed decisions at mediation.

Info: In this Part Two of "Standards for Professional Conduct for Mediators," participants will learn about all of the remaining standards of conduct (aside from confidentiality). The session will discuss standards for determining competency, maintaining impartiality, securing consent, respecting self-determination, withholding advice, avoiding conflicts of interest, preserving the integrity of the mediation process, and acting without unlawful discrimination.

Info: Video conferencing technology makes it possible to mediate remotely, but what are the advantages and disadvantages of remote mediation? What do mediators need to know to facilitate remote mediation in accordance with standards of conduct for mediators? “Technology Considerations for Mediators” explores the pros and cons of remote mediation. Participants will learn the technical skills needed to mediate through video conferencing technology, including how to choose the best platform and to make necessary changes to the platform’s settings. Finally, participants will learn tips for navigating each stage of the mediation process through a video conferencing platform from waiting for the parties to arrive to drawing up a settlement agreement.

Info: This training will teach participants to understand how bracketing techniques at mediation can move mountains in difficult negotiations. Mediators will learn about how bracketed offers work, and how to communicate them effectively to help avoid impasse.

Info: This CLE addresses professional well-being by examining how stressors inherent to “being stuck in the middle” — including exposure to anger, hostility, and provocative behavior—can affect judgment, competence, and mediators’ ability to do their best work. Drawing on her experience in high-conflict mediation, the presenter focuses on how mediators can recognize and manage their own anger and stress responses in real time, recalibrate when they are pulled out of “good thinking,” and return to effective, ethical practice. The session explores the connection between emotional regulation and good decision-making, and offers practical, non-clinical strategies to reduce burnout risk, strengthen resilience, and support sustained professional competence when working with challenging mediation participants.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher The Mediation Center