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Thursday, May 8, 2024 — MCLE Luncheon — Joann Rezzo & John Edwards
We are very pleased to have as our speakers for this lunchtime program, Joann Rezzo and John C. Edwards, both of whom have extensive experience, and widespread recognition, as mediators and ADR neutrals, and who together possess over 65 years of litigation and trial experience as practicing attorneys.
Joann and John will jointly present the program: “ Rethinking Bias in Mediation and Litigation – Yours and Theirs,” to include discussion of implicit bias in the practice of law, including certain types of implicit bias; the adverse impact of these biases on the services we provide clients; and strategies to reduce or eliminate such biases. While the presentation is oriented toward litigation and Alternate Dispute Resolution settings, the subject matter is applicable to most situations in which attorneys provide services to their clients.
This presentation will provide 1.0 hour MCLE credit in the special area of Implicit Bias – recognition and bias-reducing strategies. Both of our speakers have a wealth of practical knowledge and insight on this subject to share, so we hope that all of you will attend this program.
Some Information About Our Speakers, Joann Rezzo and John C. Edwards:
Joann Rizzo, Esq.Mediator
Joann Rezzo is a mediator with Signature Resolution. She brings nearly 30 years of litigation and trial experience and a dynamic, high-energy personality to each mediation she handles. Because her litigation career was split evenly between representing defendants and plaintiffs, Joann is known for her balanced approach. She understands each side’s unique perspective and knows how to unite parties to achieve a resolution.
John C. Edwards, Esq.ADR Neutral
John Edwards is a nationally recognized speaker and mediation trainer. An AV-rated trial lawyer for many years, John became a full-time neutral in 2014 and mediates cases throughout California. During John’s mediation training at Harvard Law School, he was introduced to interest-based negotiating as articulated in “Getting to Yes” by Roger Fisher and William Ury. Subsequently, he trained under Bill Eddy of the High Conflict Institute and now frequently lectures at seminars and law schools on effective negotiation strategies with high conflict personalities.
John has a deep and enduring interest in the empirical study of decision making and bargaining as found in the work of Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman, whose groundbreaking work with Amos Tversky taught us about cognitive bias, anchoring, bargaining, and undid our assumptions about the decision-making process. Their papers showed how the human mind makes systematic errors when making decisions in uncertain situations. A mediator who understands this may be able to provide invaluable assistance in helping decision makers in our very uncertain world, without being coercive or judgmental in the process.
John is often engaged to mediate challenging matters in which the legal issues are not driving the dispute, but the personalities are the issue. Lawyers are often frustrated because their analytical and persuasive legal skills are often ineffective with high conflict people. John’s years of training and experience have helped him achieve successful results when legal analysis and vigorous advocacy have failed to achieve settlement. John believes it is most important to treat everyone, even the most difficult person, with empathy, attention and respect. John practices polite persistence without coercion and is committed to follow through when cases do not settle at the first session.
John is proficient in conducting mediations using Zoom and other virtual platforms and offers complimentary test sessions with participants to make sure that everyone is comfortable with
the process.