Unpacking mediation in everyday life

Mediation Circus

By Michael R. Panter

Hon. Michael R. Panter (Ret.) is a senior mediator at ADR Systems of America LLC. He previously served in the Law, Family and Municipal Divisions of the Cook County Circuit Court. He was a trial lawyer for 30 years. Share responses and comments at mikepanter.com.

Posted February 21, 2018 3:04 PM

Recently, a group of business executives in Milwaukee asked me to present on “what is a mediation.” Normally, I give this type of talk to lawyers and insurers who have familiarity with what mediators do. We talk about what makes a mediation effective.I thought I would give this group of non-lawyers a simple example and help them work through it to figure out for themselves what mediation is.In this exercise, let’s say you have a friend in Chicago — a single with a very irregular schedule. What does …

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