Categories : Wisdom
Steps Toward More Effective Mediation
By Charles H. Dick
Most civil disputes will be resolved before trial,1 and mediation has become one of the most important phases of every lawsuit. Even so, the informality of mediation induces many less-experienced litigators to take a casual attitude toward the process. Too often, lawyers approach mediation as if it were the easiest phase of a lawsuit; this is serious mistake. If pleadings, discovery and motion practice warrant hours of planning, thought and effort, why treat mediation any differently?