The Red Velvet Lawyer

Meeting of my "Tribe" Plenary Sessions Offered by Leaders in the Field Last week-end, over 85 members of the Virginia Mediation Network (VMN) gathered for its Fall training conference. VMN is the largest state-wide organization of mediation practitioners, trainers, and scholars in Virginia.   Attendees enjoyed clear fall weather at the Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel in Glen Allen, Virginia, a lovely Colonial-style facility on 20-acres of park/golf course just north of Richmond.   The 2-day event offered three plenary presentations by leaders in the field: Plenary Session on Careers in the Field On Saturday morning, Bob Rhudy presented a Plenary Session based on his article, “ Engaging Conflict for Fun and Profit: Current and Emerging Career Trends in Conflict Resolution .” His paper on the topic appears here . During this interactive session, Bob shared the results of his research and engaged participants in a discussion...

Recognizing the Leaders  in Our Field Last week-end, the Virginia Mediation Network (VMN) bestowed its highest honor on my friend and colleague, Jeanette Twomey. This award is presented annually to a prominent member of the mediation community in Virginia who demonstrates personal and professional commitment to advancing peaceful conflict resolution. Candidates are recognized for one or more of the following qualities: leadership in promoting and advancing the field of mediation;  innovation in the development of mediation programs or creative applications of mediation;  significant published writings on the subject of mediation;  exemplary pro bono mediation service;  cutting edge advanced mediation training; or  dedication of time and energy to an active mediation practice that supports collaborative problem solving.  Candidates must exemplify personal and professional integrity and respect for others, as well as demonstrated commit...

Opportunities to Serve the School, the Community, and the Profession This week, we held a bar-b-que that gave student organizations an opportunity to recruit members.   I profiled all, or nearly all, of ASL's student organizations in a series of posts beginning in August 31, 2013 that continued through October 2013. They are: Pro Bono Legal Service Providers: Court Appointed Special Advocates ( CASA )  VITA Tax Services ( VITA )  Great Eastern Trail Project ( GET )  Law Journals: Appalachian Journal of Law ( AJoL ) Appalachian Natural Resources Law Journal ( ANRLJ ) Student Government: Student Bar Association (SBA) Legislative Branch Executive Branch Standing Committees Honor Court Legal Fraternities: Blackwell Inn Phi Delta Phi ( PDP )  Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International ( PAD )  Focus on Substantive Law: ADR Society   Criminal Law Society ( CLS )  Education Law Society ( ELS )  Energ...

Tell Your Story! This invitation comes from one of my very ambitious ADR colleagues. Please take her up on the invitation to share your stories. Hi all, I wanted to share with you a new video blog project I started focusing on ADR as a first career. This video blog is a place to share and read about individuals who chose to begin their professional career in the ADR field. Check it out at here . The purpose of the blog is to explore how successful the next generation of ADR professionals has been in pursuing careers in ADR straight out of law school or graduate school. To do so, I am trying to gather ADR as first career stories by encouraging folks to upload videos about their own experiences or schedule an interview with me in which I will create a video to upload on their behalf. It is very simple to do (you can see others have already started participating), and you can even create your own video straight from the blog itself. I’d love it if you would share ...

Pioneer in Field  Discusses Five Impasse Breaking Techniques This week, I was very fortunate to interview nationally known mediator, Bob Creo, for one of my webinars for my online course: Mediation with Heart: Web-Based Training for Change Agents .  I launched the online course in mid-May. This interview was the first one in which I used the expertise of a leader in the field to enhance the learning experience for my students.  It was such a great experience, I plan to record more webinars with leaders in the field.  The link to the replay of the webinar is here .  Don't miss this opportunity to learn from a master.  Creo's Background Bob Creo is a pioneer in the field of dispute resolution having begun his career as a neutral in 1979, long before courts began to adopt court-connected ADR programs. Accordingly, he has several decades of experience as a practicing mediator, arbitrator, and special master.   He continues...

Celebrating my "Silver Jubilee" I took three weeks off this summer to travel with two friends for my "silver jubilee" celebration of my 60th birthday.   We drove across the U.S. to the redwood forests of Northern California, then caught up with two alumni in Lake Tahoe, then spent three days in Yosemite. The trip reinforced many ideas I have.  First, we live in a land of great abundance: cropland, trees, natural beauty, wildlife, energy resources, and people. Second, money is just a form of energy according to my business coach, Christine Kane . The happiness experts advise to buy experiences and not stuff, if you want to be happier.  So, I tried to circulate as much money as possible on this trip to buy memorable experiences: nicer hotel stays, expensive meals, excellent wine, and a boat ride on Lake Tahoe. I want to thank my friend, Carol, who could not join us, for giving me a very big check that enhanced my ability to spend during this t...

Web Tools  That Make  the Negotiation Easier After graduating from law school and joining the largest law firm in Oklahoma, I bought my first new car.  It was a Toyota Camry.  Beforehand, I thoroughly read and applied the advice found in a book on buying a new car.   Today, the web puts you a few clicks away from very good advice on the subject.  This morning, I found this site offered by CNN Money on Tips for Buying a New Car .  It offered advice on a number of topics: Buying the right car Determining your car budget Buy ing a new or used car Should you buy or lease a new vehicle Shopping for car loans and credit Setting your target car price Negotiating   a car deal Closing the deal on a new car More vehicle negotiation options The page on setting your target price was especially helpful. It cited sources of objective criteria that  equalize the negotiating power of the parties.  First, it gives you...