Don’t miss our Successful Mediation: Preparation, Strategy & Negotiation (CA and Federal)
Live webinar | Thursday, December 3, 2026 | 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Pacific | California & Federal | $129 | Also available via OnDemand Streaming or Recorded Package Downloads
Join us on December 3 for our new Successful Mediation: Preparation, Strategy & Negotiation (CA and Federal) webinar.
Every mediation presents strategic decisions that can significantly affect the outcome of a case. What should you tell the mediator? What should you disclose to opposing counsel? How do you prepare your client for realistic settlement discussions? When should you propose a bracket or request a mediator’s proposal? And what changes when mediation takes place after a verdict or while a case is on appeal?
This practical webinar will answer these questions and many more, providing litigators with concrete strategies for achieving better results at mediation. The faculty will discuss how to prepare clients for mediation, draft effective mediation briefs, identify client interests and settlement objectives, set realistic expectations, and determine what information should, and should not, be shared with the mediator and opposing counsel. They will also cover selecting between in-person and virtual mediations, developing flexible negotiation strategies, working effectively with mediators and settlement judges, understanding different negotiating styles, navigating ethical issues, and using brackets and mediator’s proposals strategically to move negotiations forward.
The program concludes with an in-depth discussion of post-verdict and appellate mediation, including how mediation strategy changes once a case has been tried or appealed, how to prepare clients for these unique settlement opportunities, what information should be provided to the neutral and opposing counsel, and the unique strategic considerations that arise in post-verdict and appellate mediation, where the risks, leverage, and settlement dynamics can differ significantly from pretrial negotiations. Whether you are preparing for your first mediation or looking to sharpen your advocacy in complex cases, this webinar will provide practical guidance you can put to use immediately.
Hon. Kira L. Klatchko (Ret.), a retired California Superior Court judge who now serves as a neutral with JAMS, chairs this program. She has conducted hundreds of mediations and settlement conferences in civil, probate, family and appellate matters. Judge Klatchko served nine years on the Superior Court of California, Riverside County, including seven years presiding over an unlimited civil department, and twice served as a justice pro tempore on the California Court of Appeal, Second District. Before taking the bench, she was a certified civil appellate law specialist and appellate practice leader. She has spoken for us many times to rave reviews, and attendees tell us she is incredibly knowledgeable, organized and engaging, and that it’s great to hear the court’s perspective.
She is joined by the fabulous David P. Dowling of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law. Between them, they bring experience from the bench, from appellate practice, and from years as working mediators.
If your attorneys can’t attend live, the full program is available via OnDemand Streaming or Recorded Package Downloads. Group licenses are available for firms and agencies, and we frequently have government agencies and law firms purchase licenses for 8-15 of their attorneys.
