Every attorney has a story of why they chose law. For many, it began with a desire to help people, to be a steady hand in moments of uncertainty, to navigate complexity, and to stand with others when the stakes were high. But over time, the daily demands of practice, the adversarial nature of many legal systems, and the sheer volume of conflict can wear away at that original sense of purpose.
The 40-Hour Mediation and Conflict Resolution Skills Training at Green Gulch Farm this November offers attorneys in California and New York a chance to reconnect with what brought them to this work. Through an immersive, in-person experience rooted in the Understanding-Based model, participants step into a different way of working with conflict. It is not about controlling outcomes or convincing the other side, but about helping people face difficult situations with clarity, courage, and a commitment to mutual understanding.
This training is not only for those who wish to become mediators, though many do. It is equally powerful for attorneys who want to strengthen the way they work with clients, with colleagues, and within their own offices. Whether you practice family law, employment law, commercial litigation, or collaborative practice, the tools taught in this program will support more effective communication and more durable outcomes. The model teaches how to go beneath surface positions to uncover the deeper interests, emotions, and values that drive conflict. It shows how to support others without taking sides, how to stay grounded in difficult conversations, and how to create the space for self-determined solutions.
Attorneys often leave the training with more than new skills. Many find that it reshapes how they think about their role in conflict. For those in private practice, it offers a framework that can improve firm culture and client relationships alike. Legal assistants, paralegals, and administrative staff are often the first to sense when a client is upset or confused. When attorneys and staff share a common language around conflict and a consistent approach to navigating it, the entire practice becomes more resilient. Some professionals attend the training together and use it as a foundation for firm-wide change. Others bring the learning back and introduce it gradually, noticing how even small shifts in communication can change the tone of the work.
For attorneys exploring how to extend their legal training into new professional directions, this program also serves as a bridge. Mediation, facilitation, coaching, and conflict consulting are all natural extensions of a legal career, especially when paired with skills that emphasize listening, collaboration, and insight. Lawyers who have spent years helping clients from a place of expertise find that this work invites them to draw on a different kind of strength. One that supports clients in making their own informed choices. One that values relationship and self-awareness as much as legal accuracy.
The training is taught by deeply experienced professionals, including Catherine Conner, Caitlin Meredith, and Gary Friedman, co-founder of the Center for Understanding in Conflict. Their teaching blends live demonstrations, group exercises, and in-depth practice with real-time feedback. Participants are guided through a complete conflict resolution process, including how to structure conversations, support emotional honesty, and help parties reach agreements they can stand behind.
Set at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center near Muir Beach, the setting itself supports reflection and learning. Surrounded by coastal hills and open space, the retreat-style format allows participants to step out of their day-to-day routines and engage with the material in a focused and grounded way. Meals and lodging are included, with both private and shared accommodations available.
For attorneys licensed in California and New York, this training also offers a significant professional benefit. California attorneys can earn 32 participatory and 8 self-study MCLE credit hours. New York attorneys will receive 40 credit hours, including credits in Ethics, Professional Practice, and Skills. The training meets the requirements for both newly admitted and experienced attorneys.
Perhaps most importantly, the return on investment is not only in credits or credentials. It is in the ability to do your work with more clarity, more ease, and more alignment with why you entered the profession. Clients are increasingly seeking legal professionals who can help them move through conflict with less damage, not more. Attorneys who can meet that need, with both legal knowledge and human insight, will find their work more fulfilling and their practice more sustainable.
This training is an invitation. It is for attorneys who want to work more effectively with conflict, whether in mediation or litigation, in negotiation or in office dynamics. It is for those who want to support clients more fully, collaborate with colleagues more easily, and lead from a place of strength without domination. Most of all, it is for those who remember why they chose law in the first place, and who are ready to bring that commitment into a new chapter of their work.