MAC Chat – Developing Literacy in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity to Improve Mediation Skills and Practice

Developing Literacy in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity
to Improve Mediation Skills and Practice
Presented by Melora Bentz and Wesley Parks

Sponsored by theMAC

Date and Time of Program: Tuesday, June 13, 2023, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm
Location: CBA Office, 1290 Broadway, Suite 1700, Denver, CO  and virtual via Zoom
Requested CLE Credits: 2 General Credits, 1 Ethics Credit

Cost $10.00 for MAC members; $25.00 for non-members

Program Description:
Ethical mediation practice requires literacy in diversity, equity, and inclusivity. This seminar will
provide mediation practitioners with tools to mitigate the adverse effects of unconscious bias,
microaggressions, power imbalances, cultural differences, and conflicting values. Literacy in
equity, diversity, and inclusivity assists mediators in designing mediation processes that are
perceived as fair, thereby improving the chances of long-term resolution of disputes.

AGENDA

Time Topic
2:00 – 2:05 Sponsor and Panelist Introductions
2:05 – 2:15 DEI 101: Defining DEI and Its Relationship to Mediation
2:15 – 2:45 Interactive Identity Exercise and Debrief
2:45 – 2:50 Exploring the Ladder of Inference
2:50 – 3:00 The Importance of Empathy
3:00 – 3:50 DEI and Ethics
3:50 – 4:00 Q&A

PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES

Wesley Parks
PARKS MEDIATION
1720 S. Bellaire, St., Ste. 205
Denver, CO 80206
Phone: (303) 529-2358
Email: wesley@parksmediation.com

Wesley Parks is a Mediator and Attorney, and the owner of Parks Mediation. He is contract mediator
for the Colorado Office of Dispute Resolution and the Colorado Department of Education. He
teaches Mediation and Negotiation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution as an adjunct professor at the
University of Denver – Sturm College of Law. In addition to teaching at DU, he has coached the DU
mediation advocacy team to two regional championships. He continues to practice law as Special
Counsel with Cohen & Cohen, P.C., in Denver. Wesley mediates disputes in the areas of family law,
special education, bankruptcy, probate, personal injury, HOA, and civil litigation matters. He is the
current Chair of the Colorado Bar Association – Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, and a member
of the MAC. Wesley volunteers at Court Mediation Services in Denver County and Metro Volunteer
Lawyers. He was a 2021 Denver Bar Association Pro Bono All Stars award recipient. He enjoys tennis,
hiking, and skiing during his leisure time.

Melora Bentz
MIDDLE PATH MEDIATION, LLC
910 Fillmore St.
Denver, CO 80206

Phone: (720) 440-2928
Email: melora@middlepathmediation.com

Melora Bentz is a mediator, human relations consultant, and restorative justice facilitator with a focus on
solving problems via creative collaboration. She is the owner of Middle Path Mediation, LLC, where she

leads parties in conflict to a middle path, a workable ground, toward resolution. Melora provides low-
cost mediation services to parties in Denver City and County Courts with Court Mediation Services, and

she conducts legal writing for The Office of Alternate Defense Counsel (indigent criminal defense). She
serves as co-chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section’s Equity,
Diversity & Inclusivity Committee and is a new member of the MAC. She is an anti-racism advocate
and member of the inaugural class of the Colorado Diverse Attorneys Community Circle. As a
restorative justice facilitator (Restorative Denver) she advocates for equal access to justice and helps
people to transform conflict into opportunity. In her free time, she teaches and practices yoga, enjoys
being outdoors, traveling, and spending time with her husband and pets.

RSVP to themac@coloradomediation.org for Zoom log in instructions.