Program Details
2026-08-27 13:00:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-08-27 13:00:00
1h CLE Credits
Intermediate
1
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm ESTThis session examines how attorneys shift from courtroom persuasion to collaborative problem solving, explaining why mediation rewards diplomacy and listening over rigid application of facts and law, and how counsel recalibrates once settlement, not victory, becomes the objective.
Mary Ellen Coster Williams
Reuben A. Guttman 1:15 pm - 1:30 pm ESTThis session identifies the advocacy skills required to resolve disputes that appear hopeless, showing how counsel reads the concerns of both clients and opposing parties to locate openings that move far-apart positions toward a workable resolution.
Mary Ellen Coster WilliamsReuben A. Guttman 1:30 pm - 1:45 pm ESTThis session explains how counsel can best use the mediator as a strategic resource, framing positions, communicating through a neutral party, and leveraging the mediator’s role to break impasse and move the parties toward a workable resolution.
Mary Ellen Coster WilliamsReuben A. Guttman 1:45 pm - 2:00 pm ESTThis session addresses how attorneys prepare clients for the mediation setting and distinguishes voluntary mediation from court-ordered proceedings, clarifying how posture and expectations differ and how counsel adjusts preparation and strategy for each.
Mary Ellen Coster WilliamsReuben A. GuttmanMary Ellen Coster Williams is a full-time mediator and arbitrator with Resolute Systems, drawing on two decades on the federal bench. She left the United States Court of Federal Claims in July 2023 after a distinguished judicial career to devote herself to alternative dispute resolution. At the court, she handled many mediations in complex civil cases for her colleagues and earned a reputation as a go-to mediator, known for resolving disputes that appear intractable.
Reuben A. Guttman is a founding member of Guttman Buschner LLP in Washington, D.C. His practice centers on complex litigation, class actions, fraud, antitrust, and False Claims Act cases. Over his career, he has litigated and tried cases resulting in significant whistleblower recoveries. He is widely recognized as one of the country’s foremost False Claims Act and whistleblower attorneys. In addition to his practice, Mr. Guttman teaches trial advocacy and contributes scholarship on legal and public policy issues.
Mary Ellen Coster Williams is a full-time mediator and arbitrator with Resolute Systems, drawing on two decades on the federal bench. She left the United States Court of Federal Claims in July 2023 after a distinguished judicial career to devote herself to alternative dispute resolution. At the court, she handled many mediations in complex civil cases for her colleagues and earned a reputation as a go-to mediator, known for resolving disputes that appear intractable.
Reuben A. Guttman is a founding member of Guttman Buschner LLP in Washington, D.C. His practice centers on complex litigation, class actions, fraud, antitrust, and False Claims Act cases. Over his career, he has litigated and tried cases resulting in significant whistleblower recoveries. He is widely recognized as one of the country’s foremost False Claims Act and whistleblower attorneys. In addition to his practice, Mr. Guttman teaches trial advocacy and contributes scholarship on legal and public policy issues.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
Formats
