Featured Event:

40-Hour Family Court Mediation Course

In West Virginia, mediation is required in custody cases when parents cannot agree on a parenting plan. Trained mediators play a critical role in helping families navigate these disputes while reducing litigation's stress, cost, and adversarial nature.

This West Virginia Supreme Court-approved training provides the necessary education and practical experience to qualify as a family court mediator. The program follows a hybrid format, combining weekly online sessions with a two-day, in-person program at Blackwater Falls State Park in beautiful Davis, West Virginia.

Course Schedule

Live Online Sessions (6:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET via Zoom) beginning on August 7, 2025 and continuing weekly until September 11, 2025

In-Person Training at Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis, WV (September 17, 2025, 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., September 18, 2025, 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m., September 19, 2025, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)

Final Online Session (6:00-9:00 p.m. ET via Zoom ) September 27, 2025.

For a full outline of the schedule, click here.

What This Program Covers

Participants will gain hands-on experience in:

  • Mediation fundamentals and ethics

  • Custody and parenting agreements

  • Conflict resolution techniques

  • Addressing domestic violence in mediation

  • Court procedures and best practices

The course is designed and will be lead by attorney-mediator Brenda Waugh. We have invited guest speakers, including family court judges, professional mediators, and child specialists. To review the CV of Brenda, click here.

We will be seeking continuing legal education credits for the program.

Tuition & Payment

  • Early Bird Rate: $600.00 (Register by June 15, 2025)

  • Regular Registration: $850.00 (Register by July 15, 2025)

  • Deposit: $150.00 due at registration (non-refundable)

  • Remaining Balance: Due by June 15, 2025 for the early bird rate; by July 15, 2025 for regular registration.

The tuition covers all training sessions, course materials, and certification upon completion.

Who Should Enroll?

This training is ideal for:

  • Family lawyers seeking to expand their practice into mediation

  • Civil Mediators who want to improve their skills

  • Social workers and counselors working with families

  • Professionals interested in alternative dispute resolution

  • West Virginia lawyers seeking continuing education credits

    Register Now

    Enrollment is limited to 30 participants to ensure a hands-on, interactive experience.

    Click here to register

    For questions, feel free to contact Brenda.

    Other Upcoming Events

  • Brenda is a primary organizer and will facilitate small groups at the upcoming West Virginia Restorative Justice Project’s Skills-Building Institute on June 13, 2025.

  • Brenda will be joining the West Virginia State Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee for a session on appellate decisions related to mediation on June 18, 2025.

  • Brenda will examine the “money myth” about mediation, and how sometimes the dispute may be about more than just money, with the West Virginia Bar Association at their lunch and learn program on July 22, 2025.

  • In anticipation of the publication of Brenda’s book, Becoming a Restorative Lawyer: How to Transform Your Legal Practice for Self, Client, and Community Growth, two events have been scheduled. She will be presenting on this topic at the Virginia Mediation Network conference on October 3-4, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia, and at the IIRP conference on October 19-22, 2025, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.