UF Collaborative Law Training to enhance conflict resolution practices

May 7, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Collaborative law practitioners seeking to raise their level of competency while enriching their overall experience in collaborative practice are invited to attend the 2nd annual Collaborative Law Training: Taking it to the Next Level, on July 9 and 10 at the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Sponsored by the UF College of Law Center on Children and Families and the Institute for Dispute Resolution, this intermediate two-day training will highlight the lawyer’s role in educating and screening clients and in participating on interdisciplinary teams. Attorneys and legal professionals will have the opportunity to earn 12.5 CLE credits, including 2 ethics credits and 9.5 marital and family law certification credits. This course focuses on lawyers as the clients’ entry point into collaborative practice, but other collaborative professionals are welcome to enroll.

“This training will be customized for the needs of those who attend and will focus on taking participants from where they are to a more sophisticated level of understanding and skill in collaborative practice,” said Pauline Tesler, M.A., J.D., who will be leading the training. Tesler is the co-author of the groundbreaking book, “Collaborative Divorce,” and is internationally renowned as a leader in collaborative law. She has conducted numerous trainings throughout the world.

An initial assessment of the participants’ collaborative practices, including identification of obstacles and opportunities for growth, will be incorporated into the training agenda. Then specific techniques and practical ideas will be offered to optimize the collaborative practice and benefit the clients. At the conclusion of the training, the personal and practice group goals and priorities will be re-examined for possible follow-up initiatives and projects.

While collaborative law is not as widely practiced as more traditional approaches in the legal profession, by training practitioners on a more in-depth level, they will be able to grow the field and make it a more common model, said Robin Davis, UF legal skills professor and director of the Institute for Dispute Resolution.

“Collaborative law has been a terrific addition to my practice,” said Pamela Schneider, attorney and mediator, “both for my clients who tell me the process has significantly improved their relationships with their former spouses and made obtaining a divorce much less stressful, and for me. Collaborative cases don’t keep me up at night and never result in unpaid fees.”

Early registration for the limited-enrollment training is $500 per person before June 15. After June 15, the price is $600. The registration fee includes training materials, continental breakfasts, lunches, snacks and a reception. A reduced registration fee of $300 is available for a limited number of interested students. For more information about the training, contact Robin Davis at 352-273-0807 or clt@law.ufl.edu. To view the agenda or to register for the training, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/centers/childlaw/collaborativetraining/information.shtml.

The UF College of Law Center on Children and Families and Institute for Dispute Resolution are committed to educating and training a new generation of practitioners across disciplines in methods of innovative and collaborative conflict resolution in furtherance of advocating for children and families, and for a more peaceable society. For more information on the CCF, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/centers/childlaw/ to learn more about IDR, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/idr/.