Mediating Privately – The Mediation Agreement and Insurance Considerations

This workshop is free for MAM members and $25.00 for non-MAM members. 1.5 hrs CADRES credit and 0.5 hrs CLE and a 1.0 hrs Ethics CLE credit available.

This Zoom workshop is intended for mediators who have been mediating under the auspices of state agencies or the Courts and/or have been thinking about branching out into private practice. Having a good Mediation Agreement and insurance are essential first steps in starting to mediate privately.

The presenters, Rebekah Smith, Esq. and Pamela Waite, Esq. will share samples of Mediation Agreements, which may be adapted to an individual’s practice. The workshop will focus on the mediation process as set forth in the Agreement, including practical and ethical considerations. Mediators who otherwise have professional degrees must take care in maintaining strict boundaries and neutrality, which is reinforced in the Agreement. The necessity for and availability of liability insurance for private mediators also will be discussed. There will be time for questions and feedback regarding future presentations.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email. On Thursday, April 16th you receive another email containing with the ZOOM link and further instructions.

MAM is pleased to provide you this learning opportunity as you are sheltering in place. Please stay safe, and be well.

Pamela Waite - MAM President - A graduate of Smith College and the University of Maine School of Law, Pam represented the State of Maine as an Assistant Attorney General primarily in employment and tax matters for over 30 years. A skilled negotiator, she trained to become a mediator and now mediates privately; serves on the court rosters for family matters and foreclosure cases; and also is on the roster as a mediator for the Maine Human Rights Commission and the Maine Department of Education. Pam believes strongly in party self determination  and the importance of trying to resolve disputes by agreement as an alternative to engaging in lengthy and expensive litigation.

Rebekah Smith - MAM Vice President and Immediate Past President - Rebekah has provided exclusively neutral legal services since 2005, serving as a mediator, arbitrator, independent investigator, and administrative hearing officer. She has mediated hundreds of disputes to successful resolution in a variety of settings from family inheritance disagreements to human rights violations. In addition to providing mediation services for private parties, Rebekah serves as a neutral for several state agencies, including the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Labor Relations Board Fact Finding Panel, the Maine Human Rights Commission, the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, and the Maine Public Employees Retirement System.