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 in Asheville, NC. 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 21 through Friday, October 25 from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM. In addition to MSC certification hours, participants will earn 24 hours of CLE credit including 1 technology hour and 3 hours of ethics/professional responsibility credit.

If you have already completed certification requirements for the FFS mediator program, you can register for the 16-hour supplemental training to meet the MSC training requirement. There is more information here. Those completing only the 16-hour supplemental training will attend the first two days of training on Monday, October 21, and Tuesday, October 22.

NOTE: If you are not an attorney, or if you are otherwise unsure if you meet the requirments for MSC certification, please contact the NC Dispute Resolution Commission (DRC) before registering. There are additional threshold requirements for non-attorney mediators. Non-attorneys are requested to contact The Mediation Center prior to registering to confirm that they have talked with DRC staff and meet threshold requirements.

Registration fees include lunches and light refreshments.

More information about lodging options in Asheville to come.

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.

Monday, October 21

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Conflict and Resolution: What Mediators Need to Know

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM: The Mediation Process Demonstration and Discussion, Part One

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM: Lunch

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM: The Mediation Process Demonstration and Discussion, Part Two

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Getting Mediation Started: Setting the Stage for Settlement

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Role-Play Scenario

Tuesday, October 22

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Statutes and Rules for MSC Mediators

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Exam on the Statutes and Rules

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Standards of Professional Conduct, Part One: Confidentiality

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: The Culture of Insured Claims

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Role-Play Scenario

Wednesday, October 23

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: The Stages of the Mediation Process

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Mediator Skills: Reframing and Asking Good Questions

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Mediator's Bag of Tricks

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Logistical Issues in Mediation

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Role-Play Scenario

Thursday, October 24

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Overcoming Barriers and Dealing with Impasse

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: The Human Element: Emotional and Cognitive Issues

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Decision Analysis and Risk Assessment: Helping Parties Decide

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Role-Play Scenario

Friday, October 25

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Standards of Professional Conduct for Mediators, Part Two

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Technology Considerations for Mediators

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Understanding Bracketing

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lessons Learned: War Stories from Experienced Mediators, A Panel Discussion

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Role-Play Scenario

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.

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.

Laura Jeffords, MPA, is the Executive Director of the Mediation Center. Laura has over 18 years of experience as a professional mediator, mediation trainer and conflict resolution skills trainer. She is experienced in working with community, family, re-entry, and organizational conflict. Her practice focses on realtionship-based conflict, as well as District Court Criminal mediation. She is a certified Inclusive 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.

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

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