The Federal Sharing Neutrals Program Brown Bag Series

Monday, December 10,   12:00pm-1:30pm

Securities and Exchange Commission, Room 4000

Professional Development:

Learning >From Mediator Peer Groups

Come see a “fishbowl” demonstration of Mediator Peer Consultation (MPC).  A trained facilitator will guide a group of Sharing Neutrals mediators in discussing and better understanding their “critical moments” from actual mediation cases. 

This informal method of advanced mediation training is based on the simple idea that mediators will develop greater professional competence and collegiality if they meet regularly in small groups to reflect on their cases.  This approach has been implemented in community mediation centers across Virginia and in the ADR Program of a U.S. District Court in California.

Should Sharing Neutrals develop a similar program?    

Presenters:  Jeannette P. Twomey and Elisabeth Bissell

Please RSVP by December 6, 2007 to: snbrownbag@sec.gov

Videoconference: If you would like to participate by video and have ISDN VTC capability, please have your IT person call Myron Fears at 202 572-0218, on December 5, between 1:00-2:30 (ET), to participate in a mandatory test session to ensure system compatibility. 

Teleconference:  If you would like to participate by phone, please RSVP and we will send you the call-in number.  Please note that we do not recommend phoning in because you may miss out on many of the benefits of this interactive program.

Disability Accommodations: For disability accommodations contact Leah at meltzerd@sec.gov.  Please allow sufficient time for us to make arrangements.

Directions to the SEC:  100 F Street, NE. 

From the Union Station metro stop (red line), take the escalator at either exit to the main (ground) floor of Union Station.  Walk past the train gates to McDonalds.  Just before entering McDonalds, turn left and go through the glass doors.  Walk down the ramp, down the escalator and then walk straight ahead to the SEC lobby and security. Please bring a photo ID and allow extra time for security processes. 

Notices are posted at www.hhs.gov/dab/sn and www.adr.gov/a.htm

JEANNETTE P. TWOMEY

Jeannette Twomey is a mediator in private practice in Vienna, Virginia.  She has fifteen years of experience mediating family, workplace, and a variety of court-referred disputes.  Jeannette is a frequent presenter before state and local groups on topics relating to conflict resolution and mediator ethics.  She is an instructor for Northern Virginia Mediation Service and an Adjunct Professor at American University’s Washington College of Law.  Jeannette pioneered Virginia’s Mediator Peer Consultation Program in 2003 and co-authored “Training Outside the Classroom: Peer Consultation Groups” in the ABA’s Fall 2005 issue of Dispute Resolution Magazine (Vol. 12, No. 1).  She serves on the Virginia Supreme Court’s Advisory Council for court-connected ADR.  Jeannette is a graduate of Hollins University and the Washington College of Law.  She is member of the Virginia State Bar, the Virginia Mediation Network, and the Association for Conflict Resolution.

ELISABETH BISSELL

Elisabeth Bissell is an attorney and mentor mediator. She is certified by the Supreme Court of Virginia in both family and general district court mediation. Ms. Bissell mediates for the Multi-Door Small Claims program in Washington, D.C. and for Fairfax Small Claims and General District Courts.  She has been a mediator for SquareTrade, the mediation provider for eBay, since 2003. She provides arbitration services for the Better Business Bureau Auto-Line program. Ms. Bissell has also provided conflict resolution training for NASA and negotiation skills training for the Census Bureau. In 2007 she worked with the Ankara, Turkey Bar Association in providing mediation training for Turkish lawyers.  Ms. Bissell received her A. B. from the University of Michigan and her law degree from the University of Illinois. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Northern Virginia Mediation Service and of the D.C. Chapter of ACR.