News and Updates

Mediation generally works the best when all parties are willing.  The voluntary nature of mediation is one of the process's hallmarks.  However, sometimes parties end up in mediation, because a judge told them to go.  When volunteer mediating in the Cook County Courts I have seen participants still put real effort into the process and walk away with a self-determined agreement.  Those cases are the most fun to mediate.  It definitely brightens a mediator's day to see two people who were previ...

The Illinois Chapter of the Association of Attorney-Mediators will be sponsoring Settlement Week April 7-11, 2014. During Settlement Week you have the opportunity to utilize a mediator at a reduced cost, with the proceeds benefiting a specified charity.  

Convergence Mediation's own Jennifer LaDuke will be one of the mediators volunteering her time. Check out AAM's website for more information, including the schedule.

Winter is a great time to reflect on the the previous year and contemplate moving forward.  The more experience I have gained mediating, the more I have seen the value in using those skills in my everyday life.  The top five life lessons I have learned from mediation are as follows:

1.       Take time to listen.   Most people want to feel heard.  When they don't feel like they are being heard, they often become louder and angrier.  They may even file a lawsuit as a way of forcing the other per...

When we last saw Santa and Ms. Holly Jolly at mediation, Ms. Jolly had started to state her needs and interests. In Scene 2 Santa gets to tell his side. I hope you enjoy Scene 2 of 3 - Santa Mediation :)

Please enjoy the conclusion:  Scene 3 of 3.

There are many personality traits that are helpful for a mediator...including a compassionate nature, patience, understanding, perserverance, and also a sense of humor.  To that end, please enjoy my mediation parody involving Santa Claus.  The following is Scene 1 of 3.

Merry Christmas :)

I must begin by stressing that the following story occurred before I had any formal mediation training and is not something I would do now.  A few years ago a couple of the women in my extended family were engaged in conflict that was spilling over to other members of the family.  It is tradition in our family to all gather at one house for desserts, conversation, and drinks after everyone has had their dinners at their respective locations.  These two women thus ended up in the same location...

There is still quite a bit of confusion about what mediation is and what mediators do.  Part of the problem is that mediation is not yet a regulated industry.   Some people expect mediators to deliver decisions King Solomon style.   

Recently I was shocked and annoyed to find out that the proceedings on popular "reality" court TV shows were being billed as mediation.  The website for The People's Court specifically describes itself as drawing "on ordinary people who have filed grievances in ...

I have lived in the Chicago area for over a decade.  In that time my methods for dealing with personal conflict have changed drastically.  When I was starting out as a litigator, I used a "tit-for-tat" strategy when dealing with opposing counsels.  When they were polite and reasonable, so was I.  When they tried to push me around or acted in a way I thought was rude or unreasonable, I became much less cooperative. 

As I got older I saw how futile striking back could be.  I would never advoc...

Veterans' Day was originally called Armistice Day and commemorated the World War I cease fire agreement signed between Germany and the Allies in 1918.

As the daughter of a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army, I grew up with an appreciation for the military.  This year for Veterans' Day I want to make conflict resolution accessible for the men and women who have served in the past or are currently serving.  Military service requires many sacrifices and presents unique logistica...