Sarah Gross (LLM '18) Speaks on Family Conflict at SCMA’s Family Mediation Institute

Alumna Sarah Gross (LLM '18) presented a workshop on family conflict, geared especially towards younger millennial parents and families navigating COVID-19, in partnership with Yanae Basorro at the annual Family Mediation Institute hosted by the Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA) on Saturday, February 20.

Gross is an attorney licensed in California and a trained mediator with expertise in multi-party family dispute resolution and eldercare matters. She hosts educational training in legal writing and mediation skills and has also published works in various outlets including the Orange County Lawyer, Nursing, and the USC Interdisciplinary Law Journal.

When asked about her affinity to mediation, Gross replies, "I have worked for the courts and have seen the pros and cons of litigation, including the emotional toll it can have upon the parties involved. I have also worked for the school system [and seen] the benefits of using negotiation and collaboration to resolve disagreement. I was drawn to the ADR field to enhance my own skillset and explore how non-adversarial strategies can be used to diffuse conflict—particularly in family and probate law, where emotions can run high."

Gross finds that ADR holds tremendous potential in the way family conflicts can be managed outside of court. She states, "Parties in family conflicts are in need of creative problem-solving due to the nature of their disputes [...and] the court system is limited in the remedies it can provide. In contrast, mediators and collaborative practice attorneys can help families resolve these disputes more effectively by offering creative solutions that satisfy the parties' legal and non-legal needs."