The Gender Sidelining Trap in Mediator Selection

Authors

Erin E. Gleason Alvarez

Abstract

One of the greatest advantages of commercial mediation is the parties’ ability to construct the process to fit their needs. In mediation, parties are free to make decisions about how the conversation will be structured—whether in person or online, joint session or not, whether negotiations will take place over a few hours or days, and so forth. Here, parties are also uniquely empowered to design what their settlement will ultimately look like—or decide if settlement is even appropriate. Perhaps most importantly, parties decide who will serve as the mediator, the person they trust to facilitate their discussions and negotiations, and who is charged with helping them design the bespoke process they require

Recommended Citation

Erin E. Gleason Alvarez, The Gender Sidelining Trap in Mediator Selection, 2025 J. Disp. Resol. (2025)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/jdr/vol2025/iss1/5