Mediation Done Right (And What Can Go Wrong) - a CME/CLE for DRC mediators

3 hours CLE | 2 hour CME

Session Descriptions and Real-Time Agenda

9:00 - 9:05 am: WELCOME

9:05 - 10:05 am: "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" with Sharon Tracey Barrett

Mediations don't always go as they should. This session dives into some common--and some unusual--challenges that arise before, during, and after mediation. We'll break down real-world dilemmas, review relevant MSC rules and standards, and discuss what medaitiors should and shouldn't do when things get messy.

10:05 - 10:10 am: BREAK

10:10 - 11:10 am: "All the Ways It Can Go Right!" with Tara Kozlowski

The mediation rules are changing--are you keeping up? This session walks you through the latest updates to the DRC Mediation Program Rules, Standards of Professional Conduct, and Advisory Opinions. You'll get practical tips on staying compliant, handling orders, and avoiding common missteps (including those tiny, easy-to-miss nuances that trip up even experienced mediators).

11:10 - 11:15am: BREAK

11:15 - 12:15pm: "Remote Mediation Technology: The Blessings and The Curses" with Frank Goldsmith

Remote mediation can be a game-changer--or a headache! This session covers how to navigate Rule 4(a)(2) while handling disputes over mediation format, choosing the right platform, and managing logistics like breakout rooms, scheduling, and security. We'll also cover the do's and don'ts of lighting, sound, and screen-sharing, plus how to handle unexpected guests (invited or not). Finally, get a quick intro to how AI is creeping into mediation--ready or not!

About the Presenters

Sharon Tracey Barrett is a retired Superior Court Judge and a former Buncombe County District Court Judge. She currently serves as an Associate Judge and Temporary Justice for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and as an Emergency Superior Court Judge. Through a practice called Barrett Resolutions, Sharon works as a mediator and arbitrator. She is a member of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. She graduated cum laude from Boston College in 1983 and received her J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986. She practiced law in Asheville for nineteen years, focusing primarily on civil litigation, until she became a judge in 2005. She was President of the Buncombe County Bar from 2002-2003 and served for many years on the board of directors of The Mediation Center.

Tara Lynn Koslowski is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. She has been with the Commission since July of 2018. Prior to working with the DRC Mrs. Kozlowski was a family law litigator and mediator, practicing with a small firm in Wake County. Mrs. Kozlowski obtained a BS in Chemistry from Indiana University and her JD from The University of Toledo College of Law in 2006. She lives in Apex with her husband, two daughters, and yellow lab. Please feel free to contact her at the DRC office anytime with questions or to introduce yourself.

Frank Goldsmith operates a mediation and arbitration practice under the name Goldsmith Resolutions, based in Buncombe County. He is a graduate of Davidson College and received his Juris Doctor degree with honors from UNC-Chapel Hill, following which he served as an Army captain (JAGC) during the Vietnam Era before returning to civilian litigation practice in North Carolina. Frank was certified as a mediator in 1996 and has mediated hundreds of state and federal cases in the past 25+ years. He has consistently been listed in “Best Lawyers in America,” “Super Lawyers,” and “North Carolina Legal Elite” in the field of alternate dispute resolution. He has served on the Boards of Governors of both the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) and was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1994.

The Mediation Center is an approved CLE sponsor under the regulations promulgated by the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) Board of Continuing Legal Education.