A feature written by Hon. Angela Robinson was included in the May newsletter and on the website of the Connecticut Mediation Association. In “The Role of the Mediator: Helping Lawyers Move their Clients to Successful Resolutions,“ Angela discusses how attorneys can employ the skills of mediators to manage scenarios with difficult clients. She writes:
A mediator can ask the tough questions, challenge the specious or unfounded assertions, and explore the “irrelevant” factors in a way that an attorney-representative would be hard pressed to do. A mediator can explain the legal culture to laypersons. And, because mediators are trained to build trust, rapport, and consensus, they can often accomplish these goals in a way that is not perceived as invasive, offensive, and hostile.