Dispute Resolution - Big $ or Big Joke? Forum

[evilgenius]

I have an interest in pursuing a career in alternative dispute resolution and I was just wondering if anyone had a sense of the employment opportunities, job market, etc. in this field. Also which courses, clinics, or internships should one seek out while in law school to pursue this career?

[op-ti]

Also interested in this....bump!

[evilgenius]

Uh-oh. This looks like a thread fail. Maybe I'll change the subject.

[thinkbig]

brump.

[evilgenius]

brump.

How do I bump this? And which forum is more appropriate?

[sawwaverunner]

Are you referring to Mediation-type work?

I have heard it is neither. You will not make a ton of money, but if you have a specialization in Family Law or Employment Law--along with great connections--it can be a rewarding career. From what I have seen, most attorneys who get into this work also have advanced degrees in Psychology. Before all the extremists jump in and say that it is impossible to break into this field, I will just reiterate that you need some great connections, expertise, and interpersonal skills to develop a "rewarding" career in this.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the two main characters in "Weddings Crashers" did something along the lines of Dispute Resolution.

[sawwaverunner]

I have an interest in pursuing a career in alternative dispute resolution and I was just wondering if anyone had a sense of the employment opportunities, job market, etc. in this field. Also which courses, clinics, or internships should one seek out while in law school to pursue this career?

Oh, and if you are currently a first year, I suggest signing up for the basic courses (i.e Alt. dispute resolution, mediation clinic, labor law, employment discrim., family law, domestic violence, construction law (if your school offers it)....). Internships during the school year should prob. be with solely Alternative Dispute Resolution firms, while summers should be at a law firm that deals with the type of area you want to get into--so you don't burn any bridges by not working at a law firm during the summer.

You should talk to an admin. at your school about it, or better yet, a professor in the field.

[arhmcpo]

In my limited experience it sounds like alternative dispute resolution is a helpful skill set to benefit other types of work. Speaking with an Arbitration judge, he said it was easy for such judges to determine which lawyers in front of them are experience and knowledgeable about mediation/arbitration practices. You should take courses in negotiation, mediation etc. etc.

I guess the answer is: it can be helpful towards getting Big $

[evilgenius]

Are you referring to Mediation-type work?

I have heard it is neither. You will not make a ton of money, but if you have a specialization in Family Law or Employment Law--along with great connections--it can be a rewarding career. From what I have seen, most attorneys who get into this work also have advanced degrees in Psychology. Before all the extremists jump in and say that it is impossible to break into this field, I will just reiterate that you need some great connections, expertise, and interpersonal skills to develop a "rewarding" career in this.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the two main characters in "Weddings Crashers" did something along the lines of Dispute Resolution.

Thanks I was referring to mediation-type work. This is very helpful. It sounds like the type of field that one should try to transition into after a few years of working within a specialized area (i.e., family law, employment, etc.)

I'm mostly interested in developing a specialty in employment but I'm also intrigued by property/real estate mediation.

Any idea why most attorneys in this field also have advanced degrees in psychology? It seems helpful, but only in so much as it could be useful for any legal specialty.

[op-ti]

To get into to arbitration/mediation, you do not necessarily even need a law degree. Although, if taking this route (that is, of not going to law school), you will need a tone of experience in your particular specialty and a lot of contacts.

Most arbitrators/mediators that I know of are involved in corporate cases and for each arbitration/mediation case (depending if your are chair) you will make close to $200K--this is of course the pay scale of some of the more distinguished arbitrators/mediators.

[PogueMahone]

I attended a mediation last week at a major mediation/arbitration office and nearly all of the mediators there (like 75-80%) were retired judges. All the others were ex biglaw attorneys with specialized legal backgrounds.

[eth3n]

Are you referring to Mediation-type work?

I have heard it is neither. You will not make a ton of money, but if you have a specialization in Family Law or Employment Law--along with great connections--it can be a rewarding career. From what I have seen, most attorneys who get into this work also have advanced degrees in Psychology. Before all the extremists jump in and say that it is impossible to break into this field, I will just reiterate that you need some great connections, expertise, and interpersonal skills to develop a "rewarding" career in this.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the two main characters in "Weddings Crashers" did something along the lines of Dispute Resolution.

All the Negotiations/ADR/Meditation classes are taught by Psych Ph.D's with law degrees. Its funny though how shallow the psych seems to play into it once you actually take a negotiations class, its not like you doing fucking mind reading.

[motownsaint]

Any litigator will probably also need these kinds of skills.

Be forewarned, though, as I've heard repeatedly from experienced mediators and lawyers that the market for outside ADR is pretty saturated with people with whole legal careers behind them. Retired judges, Partners At Law firms, experienced specialists, etc. You would probably need to really establish yourself as a reputable and skilled mediator to be competitive against these kinds of folks.

That being said, I think it probably also depends on what state you are practicing in. Some states have multiple schools and licensing boards for mediators. Others are just now getting onto the bandwagon.

[sawwaverunner]

Are you referring to Mediation-type work?

I have heard it is neither. You will not make a ton of money, but if you have a specialization in Family Law or Employment Law--along with great connections--it can be a rewarding career. From what I have seen, most attorneys who get into this work also have advanced degrees in Psychology. Before all the extremists jump in and say that it is impossible to break into this field, I will just reiterate that you need some great connections, expertise, and interpersonal skills to develop a "rewarding" career in this.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the two main characters in "Weddings Crashers" did something along the lines of Dispute Resolution.

Thanks I was referring to mediation-type work. This is very helpful. It sounds like the type of field that one should try to transition into after a few years of working within a specialized area (i.e., family law, employment, etc.)

I'm mostly interested in developing a specialty in employment but I'm also intrigued by property/real estate mediation.

Any idea why most attorneys in this field also have advanced degrees in psychology? It seems helpful, but only in so much as it could be useful for any legal specialty.

Well I when I was doing research on it last semester, I noticed that a lot of the most popular mediation organizations had a PHD in psychology who was the chief mediator. You know, a ton of private firms do Alt. Dispute Resolution in addition to their normal "lawyer-ing." Which is why it would be very helpful to have an additional qualification to help you out. Just like a Harvard "name" on your resume will generate more business, a "Dr." on your placard will help generate business. You don't need it though, and I think only the really successful mediators have an advanced degree.

Of course, I'm just a 1L so I will not pretend to know everything about it. These are just trends I have noticed.

[evilgenius]

It sounds like taking a few psychology classes won't hurt. I'm guessing for corporate dispute resolution a few business courses or a joint JD-MBA (which I'm thinking of pursuing) may be useful.

[SteelReserve]

I attended a mediation last week at a major mediation/arbitration office and nearly all of the mediators there (like 75-80%) were retired judges

This is 100% credited.

Evilgenius, you can google all sorts of law firms with ADR groups and look up attorney bios. Most are former judges and/or otherwise seasoned vets. So you should look to follow that path.