Upcoming Trainings and Events

Professional Development and Training

  • West Virginia Family Court Mediation Certification Training.‍ ‍In 2025, we offered the first training in nearly a decade for certification in Family Court mediation in West Virginia. We will offer the course again in a hybrid format. The online portion of the course will begin on August 5, 2027, with weekly meetings through September 30, 2027, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. The in-person segment will be at Blackwater State Park on September 15, 2027, from 6:00-9:00 and on September 16 and 17, 2027, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To learn more and register: click here.

Recent Events and Conferences

  • Virginia Mediation Network. Mediators are often taught the steps of mediation, but I’ve found that it is a dynamic process and not conducive to a rigid process. I joined VMN in in Virginia Beach on September 25 and 26, 2026 for a two hour, very interactive workshop. Learn more here.

  • Virginia Beach Bar Family CLE. On October 1, I joined Hon. Jennifer Shupert on October 1, 2026 in Virginia Beach to present on Becoming a Restorative Lawyer. Learn more: https://www.vbbarassoc.com/service-page/jdr-conference-cle?referral=service_list_widget

  • West Virginia Family Court Mediation Certification Training.‍ ‍Last fall, we offered the first training in nearly a decade for certification in Family Court mediation in West Virginia. The course will be offered again in a hybrid format. The online portion of the course began on August 6, 2026, with weekly meetings through September 24, 2026, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. The in-person segment will be at Blackwater State Park from September 16, 2026, from 6:00-9:00 and September 17 and 18, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

  • Queens Law Virtual Symposium, Kingston, Ontario. I joined a panel, Advancing Reflective Practices and Methods, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, as part of this online symposium. https://www.queensu.ca/reflective-practice-legal-professionals/

  • Karen Richards Training & Mediation, Virginia. Virginia mediators must be recertified every two years and must have continuing education credits. Karen Richards, a highly respected long-term mediator in Virginia, puts together a “bonanza” of online workshops to meet the requirements. I presented an online, two-hour version of my program that helps mediators uncover how the legal culture may be inadvertently affecting their mediations. https://krtrainmediate.com/event/mediator-recertification-training-bonanza-on-line-presentation-workshop-3-july-14-2026/

  • West Virginia Supreme Court, Bridgeport, West Virginia. West Virginia also requires recertification, and this year the Supreme Court will invite all family court-certified mediators to Bridgeport for an update on the court-referred mediation process and a skills refresher. I’ll provided the skills training,at the event that occurred on August 4 and 5.