Monthly Webinars
Our webinars are an excellent opportunity to learn about a new aspect of the interpreting field every month. Each webinar is led by an experienced professional in the field and presented LIVE through a user-friendly platform. Participants can join from anywhere via computer, tablet, or mobile device. Access is available as a standalone purchase or as part of our membership plan for interpreters.
Upcoming Legal Webinar
June 17th, 2021
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST
Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): An Introduction for Interpreters
by Maria Ceballos-Wallis & Barrie J. Roberts
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is an area of legal services which includes negotiation, mediation, settlement conferences and more. The purpose of ADR is to promote settlement of disputes in lieu of litigation. ADR is conducted at court, in private offices, and virtually through Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). To help parties resolve their cases out of court, ADR/ODR professionals use collaborative approaches which are in direct contrast to the rigid and adversarial approaches used in trials, hearings, and depositions. To the untrained eye and ear, these approaches may seem like ordinary, informal conversations, but they are actually well-defined communication processes, with specific stages, tools, terms, and ethical requirements designed to guide parties to a mutually agreeable resolution that they create for themselves. This webinar is part 1 of a 2-part series and will introduce interpreters to the goals, rules, language and structure of ADR/ODR to help them understand how to interpret - and anticipate challenges to interpretation - in this unique setting.
Part 1: Overview
Interpreters should become familiar with ADR/ODR because it is used to resolve a wide range of disputes in a wide range of areas including legal, healthcare, education, business, employment and community relations.
In Part 1, interpreters will be introduced to:
- ADR/ODR terms and processes: negotiation, mediation, settlement conferences and arbitration
- Mediation structure and stages
- Active listening techniques and language used by mediators to build trust, rapport, and consensus.
Approved Continuing Education
NC, NM, MO, TN, UT, OR
Students can individually apply for CEUs in the following states by submitting all necessary information: DE, IA, KY, MD, MI, MS, NE
About the Presenters
Maria Ceballos-Wallis, MA, CCI FL/GA, CHI™, GA Registered Mediator
Barrie J. Roberts, JD, MA (TESOL), LLM (Dispute Resolution), ADR Administrator, Los Angeles Superior Court
Maria Ceballos-Wallis is a Georgia/Florida Certified Spanish><English Court Interpreter and has been a staff interpreter with DeKalb County State Court, in Decatur, GA since 2011. She is also a Georgia-registered civil and domestic/divorce mediator. A firm believer in the importance of continuing education for interpreters, Maria has been an interpreter trainer with De La Mora Institute of Interpretation since 2014 and an instructor for the Georgia Commission on Interpreter's Orientation Program since 2019. In 2020, she co-developed the course Foundations for Interpreters in Conflict Resolution and ADR with Barrie J. Roberts, J.D. and Marjory Bancroft (Cross-Cultural Communications), the first online training of its kind for interpreters in all domains. An active advocate of the interpreting profession, Maria has served in key roles in AAIT, NAJIT, the Georgia Commission on Interpreters and Georgia Judicial COVID-19 Task Force.
Barrie J. Roberts is currently the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Administrator for the Los Angeles Superior Court working with judges, court staff, attorneys, neutrals and community mediation organizations to provide high-quality alternatives to trial. She is the co-creator, along with Maria Ceballos-Wallis and Marjory Bancroft (Cross-Cultural Communications) of Foundations in Conflict Resolution and ADR for Interpreters, the first online training of its kind to provide ADR training for interpreters. Barrie also created “Mediation as a Second Language” (MSL) courses to combine ADR and ESL for international students at UC Berkeley. Her publications include Conflict Resolution Training for the Classroom: What Every ESL Teacher Needs to Know, University of Michigan Press, E-Book Single (2020). Before ADR, Barrie was a staff attorney with Legal Services of Northern California, Inc.
Looking for more webinars?
Many previous webinars are listed for sale with our self-paced courses. Members get access to the previous month’s webinar upon joining, and get discounts on any live or self-paced courses they purchase.
