Friday, November 2, 2018 – Kick-off Dinner & Reception
Saturday, November 3, 2018 – Full-Day Conference

We are excited to announce and invite proposals for the 2018 SCMA 30th Annual Fall Conference, taking place on November 2-3, 2018 at the LA Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Our conference theme is “Striving for Excellence: The Emergence of the Modern Mediator.”  

This year’s conference honorees are Avis Ridley-Thomas, who will receive the Cloke-Millen Award, and Professor Lisa Klerman, who will receive the L. Randolph Lowry Award.  Both women have distinguished themselves in the mediation field and have been leaders in developing programs and opportunities for mediators throughout Southern California.

Consistent with our Conference theme, “Striving for Excellence: The Emergence of the Modern Mediator,” we look forward to offering a diversity of workshops and programming that provide the latest and most cutting-edge thinking on how you can grow, develop, and achieve excellence as a professional mediator. Our hope is that you leave the Conference with practical knowledge, tools, and resources that are vital for today’s modern mediator. We will provide MCLE credits, a variety of workshops, and programming that focuses on different forums, career opportunities, and emerging markets for mediators.  

We are excited to welcome the American Arbitration Association (AAA) as our partner for the Conference Advanced Track. Led by Harold Coleman, Jr., Esq., Senior Vice President, Mediator/Executive Director of AAAMediation.org, and Neil Carmichael, the Vice President of Education & Training for the AAA and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution. The AAA promises to present a full day of Advanced Track topics relevant for this day and time, thought-provoking, interactive, and engaging.  Click here to learn more about the Advanced Track topics and schedule.

We look forward to seeing you at our 30th Annual Fall Conference.  It promises to be a rewarding event!

For any questions regarding the conference, please contact our Executive Director, Anne Sawyer, at anne@scmediation.org.

More than 400 Attendees, Presenters, Exhibitors and Sponsors made their way to sunny Downtown Los Angeles to attend the SCMA Annual Fall Conference on October 22-23, 2017 at the LA Hotel Downtown. The theme of the 2017 Conference was “Mediation in the Real World: New Thinking, New Practices.”

Attendee benefits include:

• Cutting Edge Education & CLE Credits – Learn all things Mediation & Conflict Resolution! Hear from esteemed speakers and top industry professionals and earn up to a total of 5hrs of CLE Credits while you’re at it.
• Advanced Track Partners – We are excited to welcome the American Arbitration Association (AAA) as our partner for the Conference Advanced Track. The AAA promises to present a full day of Advanced Track topics that will be relevant for these modern times as well as thought-provoking, interactive, and engaging. More info can be found here. Additional registration fees required.
• Wine, Dine & Kick-off in Style – Enjoy Pre-Conference Dinner kick-off reception & awards program. Click here to register.
• Mediation Opportunities Fair – Join many of the organizations funded by DRPA for information about their organization and potential volunteer opportunities with them in the main lobby throughout the day.
• Professional Networking – Bring plenty of business cards! Socialize, meet and dialog hundreds of like-minded mediators and conflict resolution professionals at the Friday Night Dinner, and during breakfast and luncheon programs on Saturday.
• Full Lunch Saturday – A sit-down lunch to keep the calories coming! Light breakfast Saturday morning also included.

With your conference attendance, you will be able to celebrate and commemorate the recipients of two prestigious and highly recognized awards given every year at the SCMA Fall Conference.

L. Randolph Lowry Award

The SCMA presents the L. Randolph Lowry Award to a member of the dispute resolution community who has honored and inspired us through their passion and dedication to education in the field of dispute resolution. The award is presented at the Friday Evening Kick-off Dinner Reception.

Cloke-Millen Peacemaker Award

The SCMA presents the Cloke-Millen Peacemaker Award to an individual or organization in the dispute resolution community who inspires us through their passion and dedication to peacemaking. The award is named in honor of two of the SCMA’s founding members: Kenneth Cloke and Richard Millen. Kenneth Cloke, the Director of the Center for Dispute Resolution in Santa Monica, is an internationally-recognized speaker and author in the field of conflict resolution. He is also the founder of Mediators Beyond Borders. Richard Millen, who passed away in 2010, was a distinguished mediator and mediation trainer, who co-chaired the first conference of mediators in Southern California, which led to a second conference at which the SCMA was born.