Principia Mediation Team Coach Reflects on Successful Competition
Our Daily Show Interview! John Williams- J.D.: Principia Mediation Team Excels!
ELSAH - Principia College’s mediation team recently won big at the Fourth Annual International Academy of Dispute Resolution (INADR) Conciliator Tournament.
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John Williams, J.D., is a professor at Principia, the previous Principia College president, and the current mediation team coach. He recently stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to talk about the art of mediation and the students’ success at the INADR tournament.
“Mediation is an alternative to litigation and going to court,” Williams explained. “Why not find a way of resolving your conflicts where you bring the pressure down? Bring in a mediator who’s a nonpartisan sort of person with the skill to build trust and work with the two sides to find something mutual.”
Williams noted that there are a lot of reasons why a person or company might want to avoid going to court. Mediation offers an alternative way to resolve disputes.
In a mock case, like what the Principia mediation team participated in, there is a mediator, a client and an advocate. The students play all of these roles to practice mediation.
Williams, a former litigator and prosecutor, originally joined the mediation team to coach the advocates (usually attorneys) on how to fight for their clients. He has since taken on the coaching role, and he loves helping his students grow.
He has also seen several students go on to attend law school after doing well on the mediation team. He is proud of their success.
“You’re trying to train these young people to listen, to be perceptive, to be fair, to be humble and to help opposing sides,” he explained. “The students are just incredible. For the college, it’s not a course. It’s an extracurricular activity. So if you’re not prepared, you’re not going to go. But they are committed. We have had four students get all-paid scholarships to law school. Every one of them went through the mediation program. It’s great training and adds great resume value.”
At the INADR tournament last month, students Shaun Chore, Sebastian Kyllonen, Avery Smith, Chisanga Siameja, Sarah Smith and Medara Udoekong were recognized for their mediation skills. Their next tournament is in April in Arizona.
Williams believes that schools with religious backgrounds like Principia do especially well in mediation competitions because students are already taught to value peacemaking. “By inclination or upbringing,” he said, many of these students naturally take on a peacemaker role.
“Peacemaking is part of it. Blessed are the peacemakers, that sort of thing,” he added. “You don’t have to be a member of the denomination, but there’s something in the air at these schools. You’re going to find another way.”
Williams encourages more students to consider joining the mediation team, and he’s very proud of the Principia students for the work they have done. For more information about the Principia College meditation team’s success, click here.
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