Education · 1 of 5

The path

There is no single route and no national license. Most people arrive after doing something else first.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Debate, student government, anything that makes you comfortable in a room where people disagree.

2. 2

   A degree, usually

   4 years

   Law, psychology, social work, human resources or business. Courts and agencies almost always want one, even where the rules do not demand it.

3. 3

   Basic mediation training

   1 week

   Virginia, for example, runs a 20 hour basic mediation training plus a separate 20 hour family training and additional circuit court courses.

4. 4

   Observations and co-mediations

   Months

   You watch certified mediators work, then run cases with one beside you before you are signed off.

5. 5

   Certification and a court roster

   1 to 2 years in

   Apply to your state's court certification program in a specific category, then take referred cases.