Professional Training
Continuing Legal Education Trainings for Attorneys, Judges, and Professional Skills Trainings for Mediators, Leaders, and HR Professionals
Elevate your expertise with world-class trainings and conferences from the top-ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. As the top choice in dispute resolution training in the United States, we offer hands-on programs in dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration, and negotiation in online, in-person, or hybrid formats, held on our Malibu, Irvine, Washington, D.C. and Switzerland campuses.
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Featured: Mediating the Litigated Case™
Ongoing Mediation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Negotiation Trainings
Explore sophisticated strategies, frameworks, and nuanced interventions used in high-level practice across the full spectrum from dissolution to complex litigation. 40-Hour Training Approved for 37.5 Hours of CLE Credit.
Upcoming Dates
- July 20-24, 2026 (Irvine) - Register
- August 24-28, 2026 (Malibu) - Register
- September 28-October 2, 2026 (DC) - Registration Coming Soon
- November 2-6, 2026 (Malibu) - Registration Coming Soon
- December 7-11, 2026 (Online) - Registration Coming Soon
Upcoming Trainings
Professional Reconciliation Skills Training: How to Create Peace in Deeply Divided Groups
Professional Reconciliation Skills Training is a two-day intensive designed to help
professionals navigate deep, identity-based conflict and rebuild trust in highly charged
environments. Grounded in decades of real-world mediation and reconciliation work,
the program equips participants with practical tools to manage strong emotions, address
power dynamics, and foster meaningful dialogue across divides.
13 Hours CLE Credit.
Upcoming Dates
Design Thinking in Mediation: A Game Changer for Mediators
Design Thinking: A Game Changer for Mediators is a two-day, immersive training that
equips professionals with a modern, innovation-driven approach to resolving conflict.
Drawing from a proven framework used by leading organizations and popularized by the
Stanford d.school, this hands-on program teaches participants how to move parties
into problem-solving faster, shift from adversarial to collaborative dynamics, and
generate creative, durable solutions.
13 Hours CLE Credit.
Upcoming Dates
Mediating the Litigated Case: Special Education Edition
Designed specifically for SELPAs, LEA Special Education Administrators, and other
education-related professionals. This course offers participants a unique opportunity
to learn the mediation process in a format tailored to special education cases, where
they will develop essential skills to negotiate effectively, navigate cross-cultural
communication, and facilitate problem-solving across disputes involving placements,
services, assessments, and the IEP process. In addition to core mediation training,
the program addresses challenges specific to the adversarial setting, including managing
attorney advocates, confidentiality, and discovery, as well as key considerations
for school-based mediators such as maintaining parent-school relationships.
40-Hour Training Approved for 37.5 Hours of Optional CLE Credit.
Upcoming Dates
Mediation Advocacy Intensive
The practice of law is now dominated by resolving cases through mediation. However,
many attorneys representing clients in this process have never received focused training
on how to approach this representation in the most effective way, causing them to
leave money or leverage on the table. The best Mediation approaches often seem counterintuitive
to lawyers trained in trial advocacy. Treating Mediation Advocacy as a discrete skill
allows attorneys to prepare themselves and their clients to leverage the process for
the best outcome.
13 Hours CLE Credit.
Upcoming Dates
MLC 2.0: Advanced Strategies for Experienced Mediators
This advanced program is designed for seasoned mediators, those who have mediated
50 or more cases or completed MLC, who are ready to move beyond foundational competencies
into the nuanced, strategic, and reflective dimensions of mediation practice. Grounded
in interdisciplinary theory, advanced techniques, and intensive case work, the program
enhances participants’ capacity to navigate complex, high-stakes disputes with clarity,
confidence, and adaptability. Learning is supported through coached feedback and targeted
skills development, fostering thoughtful refinement of individual mediation practice.
21 Hours CLE Credit
Upcoming Dates
Why Attend Professional Training with Straus?
Convenient Format
Learn both in-person from our beautiful Malibu campus and from your home through the online trainings.
Top-Ranked
Pepperdine Straus Institute is ranked #1 for dispute resolution according to U.S. News & World Report.
Hands-On Practice
Practice the advanced techniques learned through realistically curated exercises, intimate breakout groups, and round-table discussions.
Professional Training Faculty
The professional training faculty of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution are at the heart of what makes the program exceptional. Comprised of leading scholars, seasoned practitioners, and globally recognized experts, Straus faculty bring both academic rigor and real-world experience into every classroom. Students benefit from learning directly from professionals who have mediated complex international disputes, advised top organizations, and helped shape the field of dispute resolution itself.
Selina Shultz
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Stephanie Blondell
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David Dowling
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Shaphan Roberts
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Peter Robinson
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What Our Community is Saying
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Contact Us
Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
Pepperdine Caruso Law
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263
The Right Opportunity for You
Programs at the Straus Institute are designed to meet the needs of students and professionals at varying levels, including those from outside the United States. Based on who you are and where you are, we have a dispute resolution program for you.