Florida Mediator Brandon S. Peters

What a difference seven days can make. During my second week as a law school professor, I felt much more confident in my abilities at the lectern. In no small part, that was because none of my students dropped the course after hearing me speak in week one.

As a matter of fact, we added a student – a guest, really – my mom. Like all mothers, Pam is proud of her son’s professional accomplishments, and she wanted to witness me “in action” in front of my students. A lawyer herself, Mom was able to assume the role of a disgruntled litigant in one of the student role-playing exercises. Her advocacy skills might have gotten a little rusty in the years since she retired from the practice of law, though. The student “judge” ruled against her at the conclusion of the exercise.

Last week’s course materials helped students locate mediation on the spectrum of dispute resolution processes. This week, we focused on the taxonomy of negotiation and began to explore circumstances that can make a mediator’s task more challenging. In my grand plan for the semester, we are beginning to set the stage for some exciting guest lecturers who have agreed to address my students in early February.

For the first installment of Brandon’s adventures at FAMU, please click here.