SCMA’s 2026 Civil and Employment Mediation Institute (CEMI) ushers in a new era, as the long-running Employment Mediation Institute (EMI) expands to include programming for other types of civil mediation. This year’s theme “Thinking Big, But Starting Small”, is about keeping a big picture perspective—whether about individual mediations, or an individual mediation practice—while paying attention to the little details along the way. Just like last year’s EMI, this year’s CEMI will feature a full-day of presentations and workshops by top-rate mediators, professors, innovators, and litigators, who are eager to share their respective expertise. Attendees will hear from a well-rounded lineup of speakers who cover the academic, legal, business, and theoretical aspects of civil and employment mediation. Attendees will also be treated to breakfast, lunch, and a cocktail hour at the end of the day, as part of their registration fees. Every civil and employment mediator or prospective mediator that attends CEMI this year will be given a set of new tools to add to their toolkit in enhancing their mediation skills, as well as expanding their mediation practice.
This award is meant to honor longtime, expert mediators, who have displayed excellence both in the actual work of civil and employment mediation, but also as a leader in the mediation community. This award will be given every year at CEMI to a mediator who exemplifies excellence in the practice of mediation, in giving back to the mediation community, and as a representative of the mediation community in the legal community at large. This year’s SCMA Excellence in Civil and Employment Mediation Award is being presented to Lee Jay Berman.
Lee Jay Berman is a highly respected commercial mediator with over 30 years of experience and more than 3,000 cases, including many high-profile disputes. He is consistently ranked among the top mediators in the U.S., earning numerous honors such as Chambers USA Band 1 recognition and multiple industry awards. Berman serves on several American Arbitration Association panels and holds prestigious affiliations with leading mediation organizations worldwide. In addition to his practice, he has trained mediators globally, authored extensively, and contributes to charitable and nonprofit initiatives focused on health and children’s welfare.
