Become a Mediator in Nevada
A mediator in Nevada helps individuals and companies resolve conflicts about professional or personal issues in a confidential and impartial setting without engaging in costly court proceedings. Though Nevada currently doesn't require any specific training for general mediators, becoming a mediator involves identifying the types of mediation you're interested in, researching the field, determining whether you want to work as a mediator in the court, getting training and building your reputation. The following steps will show you how to become a mediator in Nevada.
Steps
- Identify the various types of mediation that most attract you. This will help you determine how to approach your process of gathering knowledge, getting training, and building a network. For example, Americans with Disabilities, Workers Compensation, and Divorce are all areas you can specialize in. Many mediators specialize in an area with which they already have an affinity, for example because they used to work in those fields.
- Research the field of mediation.
- The Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) and the American Bar Association Section for Dispute Resolution (ABASDR) both have a lot of information on their websites.
- You can also find articles on the Internet about mediation, as well as books recommended by experts either in the articles or featured as resources on the ACR and ABASDR's websites.
- Speak with established mediators about the profession. This might be the best way of finding out what the profession actually entails.
- Decide whether you want to work as a mediator in court.
- In Nevada, each individual court is allowed to develop its own requirements and qualifications for mediators so you'll need to contact the court where you want to work to find out what course of training you'll need to follow. For some types of court mediation, you'll need to be a licensed attorney in Nevada, and for almost all types of court mediation you will need to have approved communication skills and follow a fixed number of hours of training.
- Mediation is required in certain cases pertaining to child custody, visitation rights and residential property.
- Get training.
- Though Nevada currently has no specific requirements for general mediators, you'll need to complete a 30- to 40-hour comprehensive mediation course that's tailored to Nevada legislation.
- Attending conferences will allow you to acquire an overview of the mediation field. Look for conferences that also offer workshops with respected trainers.
- Build your reputation.
- Join professional associations and participate in quality practice to build your network. Networking with your peers will alert you to opportunities to mediate, as well as to participate in the making of legislation and designing mediation trainings.
- Write articles and volunteer on panels to enhance your visibility and profile.
