FN-4369109 MN-4369109 LN-4369109, Esq.
Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Eckstein Conflict Resolution Services – Owner
University of Pennsylvania Law School – Lecturer in Law
University of Pennsylvania Law School – Lecturer in Law
Attorney/Mediator/ADR Professional, Eckstein Conflict Resolution Services, 1999 – Present; Lecturer in Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 2006 – Present; Mediation Coach, Peninsula Mediation, 2015 – 2016; Attorney, Law Office of Sharon B. Eckstein, 1996 – 2006.
Accomplished mediator with over 20 years of extensive ADR experience in numerous subject matters and contexts with focus on employment and workplace disputes. Passionate about the mediation process, this mediator believes it allows for a more meaningful, creative and economical dispute resolution process which offers the possibility that all aspects of the dispute - legal and emotional - will be addressed. Mediator's varied and extensive professional experiences provide for outstanding mediation services utilizing tools and techniques from diverse disciplines and gleaned from various mediation orientations.
Serves on the mediator panel of the EEOC, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations and the Lower Merion Human Relations Commission. Mediated more than 200 complaints of employment discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, sex, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation and gender expression with these agencies. Has also mediated more than 200 cases involving allegations of sexual harassment and hostile work environment, pregnancy, discrimination, and retaliation.
Mediator with USPS REDRESS program. Actively involved in all aspects of mediation education and training and since 2006 has served as a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Law School's mediation clinic. Previously served as adjunct professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law Mediation clinical program. Served as mediation coach and trainer for federal employees, attorney mediators in court-annexed mediation programs and Human Relations Commission members.
Experience in complex employment matters involving multiple parties. Additional experience is mediating public disputes involving numerous stakeholders. ADR experience includes mediating matters with unrepresented parties as well as disputants represented by counsel.
Knowledge and expertise in higher education and Title IX disputes.
Actively engaged in designing and implementing mediation programs for organizations and institutions who have previously not relied upon ADR processes. Cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity combined with an extensive and varied legal background are unique qualifications of this mediator. Before exclusively focusing practice on ADR, began a career as an attorney in the public interest sector working as a staff attorney at Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program and the Philadelphia Child Support Project before a decade of practice as a family and employment law attorney.
As an attorney with Willig, Williams, and Davidson, represented clients who were union members in a wide range of civil matters. Had a successful law practice focusing on family and employment matters.
Serves on the mediator panel of the EEOC, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations and the Lower Merion Human Relations Commission. Mediated more than 200 complaints of employment discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, sex, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation and gender expression with these agencies. Has also mediated more than 200 cases involving allegations of sexual harassment and hostile work environment, pregnancy, discrimination, and retaliation.
Mediator with USPS REDRESS program. Actively involved in all aspects of mediation education and training and since 2006 has served as a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Law School's mediation clinic. Previously served as adjunct professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law Mediation clinical program. Served as mediation coach and trainer for federal employees, attorney mediators in court-annexed mediation programs and Human Relations Commission members.
Experience in complex employment matters involving multiple parties. Additional experience is mediating public disputes involving numerous stakeholders. ADR experience includes mediating matters with unrepresented parties as well as disputants represented by counsel.
Knowledge and expertise in higher education and Title IX disputes.
Actively engaged in designing and implementing mediation programs for organizations and institutions who have previously not relied upon ADR processes. Cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity combined with an extensive and varied legal background are unique qualifications of this mediator. Before exclusively focusing practice on ADR, began a career as an attorney in the public interest sector working as a staff attorney at Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program and the Philadelphia Child Support Project before a decade of practice as a family and employment law attorney.
As an attorney with Willig, Williams, and Davidson, represented clients who were union members in a wide range of civil matters. Had a successful law practice focusing on family and employment matters.
Served as a mediator in approximately 500 disputes. Extensive and ongoing experience in the following areas: employment discrimination (race, religion, ethnic origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability), wrongful termination, harassment, retaliation, hostile workplace, employee/employee disputes, internal nonprofit board conflict, public disputes involving numerous community stakeholders, divorce, custody and other family matters. Additional expertise in higher education and Title IX claims.
General mediation experience in other contexts - real estate matters, business partnership dissolution, HOA/Condo association disputes, divorce/custody and other family matters. Frequently mediates complex disputes involving multiple parties and/or multiple issues and claims.
Actively involved in the training of mediators with extensive clinical legal education experience. Since 2006, a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Law School teaching and supervising law students enrolled in the mediation clinic. Previously, was adjunct clinical faculty at Temple University James Beasley School of Law Mediation clinical program. This mediator is at the forefront of clinical mediation education for the next generation of attorney mediators.
Experience designing and implementing mediation programs for local Human Relations Commissions. Successfully created and instituted groundbreaking mediation program for the Lower Merion Human Relations Commission.
General mediation experience in other contexts - real estate matters, business partnership dissolution, HOA/Condo association disputes, divorce/custody and other family matters. Frequently mediates complex disputes involving multiple parties and/or multiple issues and claims.
Actively involved in the training of mediators with extensive clinical legal education experience. Since 2006, a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Law School teaching and supervising law students enrolled in the mediation clinic. Previously, was adjunct clinical faculty at Temple University James Beasley School of Law Mediation clinical program. This mediator is at the forefront of clinical mediation education for the next generation of attorney mediators.
Experience designing and implementing mediation programs for local Human Relations Commissions. Successfully created and instituted groundbreaking mediation program for the Lower Merion Human Relations Commission.
Workplace disputes between current employees, employees, and supervisors. Frequently disputes about perceived unfair treatment around requests for time off, requests for a shift change, etc.
Employment discrimination matters alleging discrimination based on race, religion, ethnic origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation or gender expression, age, or disability.
Retaliation claims based on either filing a discrimination claim or complaining to a supervisor about a perceived discriminatory action.
Divorce matters including equitable distribution, support, alimony, custody.
Small business partnership dissolution disputes.
Attorney fee dispute complaints, both those initiated by attorneys and those initiated by clients.
Community public disputes involving multiple stakeholders (disputes between developers and community members, disputes between local government and residents).
Employment discrimination matters alleging discrimination based on race, religion, ethnic origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation or gender expression, age, or disability.
Retaliation claims based on either filing a discrimination claim or complaining to a supervisor about a perceived discriminatory action.
Divorce matters including equitable distribution, support, alimony, custody.
Small business partnership dissolution disputes.
Attorney fee dispute complaints, both those initiated by attorneys and those initiated by clients.
Community public disputes involving multiple stakeholders (disputes between developers and community members, disputes between local government and residents).
Every mediation is unique; the subject matter, the issues, the parties, and the legal counsel all impact how a mediation will unfold. The role of the mediator is to create the climate which enables the disputants to resolve their dispute with mutually acceptable terms. Mediation is a process that belongs to the parties and their counsel. The mediator's job is to assist the parties in assessing their available options and to facilitate a process which fosters their arrival at a mutually acceptable resolution. In order for mediation to be productive, disputants and counsel must participate in good faith, have authority to settle, and be willing to listen to the other party's perspective.
Mediation offers numerous benefits to individuals, businesses and organizations engaged in conflict.. Since every legal disputes also involves the emotional reactions of the people involved, mediation affords parties the unique advantage of addressing all aspects of their disputes if they so choose. Through conversation facilitated in an informal and confidential setting rather than with testimony offered in a formal forum, parties can resolve disputes with all encompassing and creative solutions.
Since mediators are not triers of fact, parties are more willing to relinquish their positional stance to focus on their needs and interests. This enables parties to craft more satisfying and complete resolutions in a highly efficient manner.
I believe that the mediator structures the mediation process and assists the parties in achieving the outcome that they are seeking. The parties are the owners of their dispute and the deciders of their resolution; mediation rests on self determination. My role is to guide the conversation, ask the questions that help parties assess their needs and evaluate their options, assist the parties with generating solutions and negotiating outcomes, foster understanding of other perspectives, and to create a process that is respectful, efficient, balanced and fair.
Mediation offers numerous benefits to individuals, businesses and organizations engaged in conflict.. Since every legal disputes also involves the emotional reactions of the people involved, mediation affords parties the unique advantage of addressing all aspects of their disputes if they so choose. Through conversation facilitated in an informal and confidential setting rather than with testimony offered in a formal forum, parties can resolve disputes with all encompassing and creative solutions.
Since mediators are not triers of fact, parties are more willing to relinquish their positional stance to focus on their needs and interests. This enables parties to craft more satisfying and complete resolutions in a highly efficient manner.
I believe that the mediator structures the mediation process and assists the parties in achieving the outcome that they are seeking. The parties are the owners of their dispute and the deciders of their resolution; mediation rests on self determination. My role is to guide the conversation, ask the questions that help parties assess their needs and evaluate their options, assist the parties with generating solutions and negotiating outcomes, foster understanding of other perspectives, and to create a process that is respectful, efficient, balanced and fair.
University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD - 1986); Queens College, City University of New York (BA, English Honors, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Belle Zeller CUNY Scholar, English Department Award-1983).
Admitted to the Bar: Pennsylvania, 1986.
Philadelphia Bar Association
American Bar Association
Chester County Bar Association
Association of Conflict Resolution Advanced Practitioner Employment
Pennsylvania Council of Mediators
Tri-States Human Relation Coalition
Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA)
Board member, National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM).
American Bar Association
Chester County Bar Association
Association of Conflict Resolution Advanced Practitioner Employment
Pennsylvania Council of Mediators
Tri-States Human Relation Coalition
Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA)
Board member, National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM).
Mediation and Relational Practice, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law 2018
Dignity and its Role in Dispute Resolution, Presenter, ABA Dispute Resolution Section Relational Practice TeleSummit September 2018
ABA Dispute Resolution Section Telesummit 2018, Planning Taskforce member and presenter
Bias and Stereotyping: The Negative Impact of Our Assumptions, Panelist/presenter, Philadelphia ACR Chapter and Tri-state Human Relations Coalition, October 2016.
Pro Bono Mediation Law Student Training, trainer and presenter, Rutgers-Camden Law School, Camden, NJ, January 2015.
Resolving Human Relations Commissions' Cases Through Mediation, Presenter and Faculty, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Tristate Human Relations Commission Conference, Working Towards Welcome, November 2014.
The Lower Merion Human Relations Commission - Our Township's Anti-Discrimination Ordinance and Our Role in the Community, Numerous speaking engagements to community groups, organizations and civic associations, Presenter, 2014 – Present.
Dignity and its Role in Dispute Resolution, Presenter, ABA Dispute Resolution Section Relational Practice TeleSummit September 2018
ABA Dispute Resolution Section Telesummit 2018, Planning Taskforce member and presenter
Bias and Stereotyping: The Negative Impact of Our Assumptions, Panelist/presenter, Philadelphia ACR Chapter and Tri-state Human Relations Coalition, October 2016.
Pro Bono Mediation Law Student Training, trainer and presenter, Rutgers-Camden Law School, Camden, NJ, January 2015.
Resolving Human Relations Commissions' Cases Through Mediation, Presenter and Faculty, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Tristate Human Relations Commission Conference, Working Towards Welcome, November 2014.
The Lower Merion Human Relations Commission - Our Township's Anti-Discrimination Ordinance and Our Role in the Community, Numerous speaking engagements to community groups, organizations and civic associations, Presenter, 2014 – Present.
Office location in Narberth, PA or Center City Philadelphia or locations within a 10 mile radius of Ardmore, PA
$2,800 Per Day
Hebrew, English
United States of America
Ardmore, PA
The AAA’s Rules provide the AAA with the authority to administer a mediation including, mediator appointment, general oversight and billing. Accordingly, mediations that proceed without AAA administration are not considered AAA mediations, even when the parties select an mediator who is on the AAA’s Roster.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
