NINA  R. MEIERDING MS, JD

Professor/Trainer/ Consultant

11730 Kallgren Rd NE
Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110
nina@meierding,com
 (206) 780-8487 

 
Education

Certificate Program in Alternative Dispute Resolution (15 units), Pepperdine University School of Law (Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution) 1992

Juris Doctorate, Ventura College of Law (cum laude) 1984

Masters in Education, University of Southern California (summa cum laude) 1977

Bachelor of Science, University of Southern California (magna cum laude) 1976

Licenses

Admitted to the State Bar of California June, 1984

Ryan Multiple Subject, Learning Handicapped, Community College, and Resource Specialist Teaching Credentials

Mediation Experience

Mediation Partner/Consultant - Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System (WSEMS), provided training and consultation to the Wisconsin mediation panel and the State of Wisconsin special education system. 2006 - 2017.

Director and Senior Mediator - The Mediation Center (Ventura, California)  facilitated and mediated approximately 4,000 disputes dealing with all aspects of family law, wrongful termination, work place, business, and education law.  1985 to 2007.

Mediator/Consultant - California State Department of Education/McGeorge School of Law, handled multi-party mediations between school districts, Departments of Mental Health, Regional Centers, private agencies, Children's Services, and parents. Provided training programs for mediators. 1989 to 1996.

Board of Directors and Founding Member - Ventura Center for Dispute Settlement, co-founded the first non-profit community based mediation center in Ventura County; including application for funding, developing and implementation of training programs, coordinating community outreach and fundraising, development of professional panel. President of the Board of Directors, May, 1990 to January 1, 1999.

Mediation and Negotiation Trainer (1991 - current) 

Academy of Family Mediators, locations throughout the US

Administrative Office of the Courts, Salt Lake City, Utah

Accountants Incorporated, San Francisco, California

Agency for Dispute Resolution, locations in the US

Alberta Family Mediation Council, Canada

American Bar Association Annual Dispute Resolution Conferences, locations throughout the US

American College of Civil Trial Mediators, Half Moon Bay, California  

AMINZ (New Zealand) Conference, Master Class, Auckland, New Zealand

Arbitration and Mediation Institute of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand

Arizona ACR Chapter, Phoenix, Arizona

Asian Development Bank and the Government of India in association with the  Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University (New Delhi, Bombay, India)

ANDRI, Detroit, Michigan

Association for Conflict Resolution Annual Conference, presenting plenaries, institutes, and workshops, locations throughout the US

AT&T, Corporate Division, New Jersey

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Annual Conferences, presenting institutes and workshops nationally and internationally

BCCAT - Vancouver, Canada

Beech Acres Mediation Program, Cincinnati, Ohio

Belgian Training Institute for Judges and Prosecutors (online)

CADRE (Special Education) Conference, Eugene, Oregon

California Association of Realtors, various locations in California

California Special Education State Wide Conference (SELPA), various locations in California

California State Department of Education, Sacramento, California

California Department of Real Estate, Los Angeles, California

California Family Court Services, Los Angeles, California

California Judicial College, various locations in California

Canada Health Professional Review Board, Vancouver, Canada

Center for Principled Family Advocacy, Cleveland, Ohio

Center for Public Policy, University of Texas

City of Bellevue, Washington

Cleveland Joint ADR Conference, Ohio

Cleveland Metro Bar Association, Ohio

Collaborative Family Law Council, locations throughout the US

Collin County Bar Association. Texas

CNA Insurance Company ,various locations in the US

Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), various locations in California

Covina Unified School District, California

Dallas Collaborative Law Group, Texas

Dispute Prevention and Resolution, Inc. Honolulu, Hawaii

Dispute Resolution Services, New Zealand

Doctors Company, Napa, California

Dispute Resolution Services (DR5), Canada

Dutch Association of Professional Family Mediators, The Netherlands

Equal Employment Advisory Council, locations in the US

Family Mediation Canada, various locations in Canada

FMS (Family Mediation Services), London, England

FMS (Family Mediation Services of Ireland), Dublin, Ireland

FMS (Family Mediation Services), Edinburgh, Scotland 

Farmers Insurance Company,  various locations in the US

Florida Association of Professional Mediators, Jacksonville, Florida

Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, 2009

Hague International Justice Conference, 2009

Hawaii Judicial Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii

Hazelden Foundation, Duluth, Minnesota

Idaho State Department of Education Office of Dispute Resolution, Boise, Idaho

Institute for Conflict Resolution, Asheville, North Carolina

International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, locations throughout US

International Academy of Mediators, locations throughout the US

Jones School of Law (Faulkner University), Montgomery, Alabama, 

Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, various locations in California

Judicial College of California, various locations in California

Kaiser Permanent Medical Group, various locations in California

King County ADR Program, Seattle, Washington

LERA Annual Conference (Labor and Employment Relations Association) Seattle, Washington

Lakeside School, Seattle, Washington

Lewis and Clark CLE, Portland, Oregon

Louisiana State Bar CLE, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

Los Angeles District Court, Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Superior Court Mediation Program, Los Angeles, California

Lincoln Lancaster Mediation Center, Lincoln, Nebraska

MACRO - CDRUM Baltimore, Maryland

Maine Association of Mediators, Portland, Maine

M.A.R.C.  (Argentina) online

MARC, Chicago, Illinois

Maryland Fellows Training, Baltimore, Maryland

Maryland State Bar Association, Baltimore, Maryland

Maryland State Government, Baltimore, Maryland

Massachusetts Collaborative Law, Boston, Massachusetts

McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, California

Mediation Council of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois

Memphis Bar Association, Tennessee

Merrick Bank, Salt Lake City, Utah

Michigan State Bar Association

Mind of Muse (Japan - online)

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education (MCLE), 2005-current ; Alaska cruise training 2012, Caribbean cruise training 2015

Minnesota Realtors Professional Standards Committee, Minnesota

Monterey College of Law, Mandell Gisnet Center for Dispute Resolution. Monterey Bay, California

Multi-Door Courthouse, Washington DC

MPELRA, Vancouver, Canada

Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC,) Nashville, Tennessee

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, (NASA) Goddard Space Center

National Association of Distinguished Neutrals

National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada

National Judicial Council Vancouver, Canada

Nationwide Insurance Company, various locations in the US

Nevada Conflict Resolution Council, Reno, Nevada

New Jersey Bar Association

New Mexico State Bar Association, Albuquerque, New Mexico

New Mexico State Bar Association -Children's Law Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico

New York Collaborative Law Council, Hudson Valley, New York

New York Divorce Mediation Council

North Carolina Association of Professional Family Mediators, Asheville, North Carolina

Northwest ADR Conference, Seattle, Washington, plenaries and workshop speaker 

Oakland Unified School District, California

Office Depot, Cincinnati, Ohio

Ohio Mediation Association. Columbus, Ohio

Ontario Bar Association, Canada

Orange County CPA Professional Association, Irvine, California

Orange County SELPA, Fullerton, California

Orange County Superior Court, Irvine, California

Oregon Attorney Assistance Program, Portland, Oregon

Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Defense Fund, Portland, Oregon

Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Conference, Washington

PELRA, Duluth, Minnesota

Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Council of Mediators, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pepperdine University School of Business, Malibu, California

Pepperdine Straus Institute Professional Skills Program, locations throughout the US

Pepperdine Straus Institute Mediating the Litigated Case, locations throughout the US

Placentia Yorba Linda  Unified School District, California

Province of British Columbia, Canada

Public Employee Relations Commission, Olympia, Washington

RKM and C LLP Law Firm,Los Angeles, California

Rialto Unified School District, California

Rutter Group, various locations throughout California

San Bernardino County Schools, California

San Jose SELPA, San Jose, California

San Luis Obispo Family Law Bar, San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo SELPA, San Luis Obispo, California

Seattle Public Schools, Seattle, Washington

Seminar Partners, Canada

Sherwin Williams Paint Company, Cleveland, Ohio

Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution Annual Conference, various locations in US

Solano County Courts, Solano, California

SFM Mutual Insurance Company, various locations in the US

Southern California Edison, Los Angeles, California

Southern California Mediation Association, Los Angeles, California

South Texas College of Law, Austin, Texas

State Bar of California, San Diego, California

State Farm Insurance Company, various locations in US

Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of  Law, Malibu, California

Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, Knoxville, Tennessee

Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators, Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State Bar Association, Nashville, Tennessee

Texas Association of Mediators, various locations in Texas

Texas State Bar Association, various locations in Texas

The Maryland Insurance Company, locations in the US

United States Bankruptcy Court - Central District of California

United States Federal District Court, Los Angeles, California

United States Navy - Pt. Mugu, China Lake (Human Resources), California

University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho

University of New Mexico Law School, Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of Texas Conflict Resolution Program

Utah Administrative Office of the Courts, Salt Lake City

Utah Conflict Resolution Council, Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah State Bar Association ADR Conference, plenaries

Ventura Association of Realtors,  Ventura, California

Ventura Center for Dispute Settlement, Ventura, California

Ventura County Bar Association, Ventura, California

Ventura County Superior Courts, Ventura, California

Ventura Family Court Services, Ventura, California

Virginia Association of Collaborative Professionals

Washington DC Multi-door Courthouse

Western Washington Bankruptcy Court, Seattle, Washington  

Wisconsin Association of Mediators, Milwaukee,Wisconsin

Wisconsin Collaborative Law, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System, Madison/Milwaukee, Wisconsin

World Venture, Dallas, Texas

Yuba Superior Courts, Yuba, California

Teaching Experience

Adjunct Professor - Pepperdine University School of Law - Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution;  Divorce Mediation, Cross Cultural Dispute Resolution, Negotiation, Advanced Mediation, 1995-current.

Adjunct Professor - Southern Methodist University; Divorce Mediation, Administrative Mediation, Advanced Family Mediation, Advanced Negotiation, Mediation, Culture and Gender, 1999- 2016 (dispute resolution program); Counseling Diverse Communities 2007- 2012 (counseling program)

Adjunct Professor - Lipscomb University, Cross Cultural Issues in Negotiation and Mediation, 2007- 2014

Instructor - Ventura College of Law, Negotiation and Mediation, Alternative Dispute Resolution- 1990-1997.

Guest Instructor - National Judicial College, California Judicial College, California Lutheran University, University of Idaho Law School, Jones Law School, University of New Mexico Law School, South Texas College of Law, Columbus School of Law, University of Texas

Legal Experience

Sole Practitioner - General civil legal practice with emphasis on family law, educational law, wrongful termination, personal injury and appeals - 1986 - 1990.

Associate Attorney - Law Offices of John Pattie - handling all aspects of family law, educational law, wrongful termination, and personal injury actions. 1984 - 1986.

Of  Counsel - Law Offices of Taylor, Roth and Hunt - handling Title 7 employment discrimination suits. 1984 - 1986.

Law Clerk (Internship) - Ventura County District Attorney's Consumer Fraud and Economic Crime Unit, 1982.

Honors and Memberships

Emeritus Fellow, American College of Civil Trial Mediators

Honorary Fellow, International Academy of Mediators 

Honorary Member, National Association of Distinguished Neutrals

Lifetime Achievement Award, Academy of Professional Family Mediators, 2022

Distinguished Neutral Award, National Association of Distinguished Neutrals, 2021

Life Time Achievement Award, American College of Civil Trial Mediators, 2017

John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award, international award for leadership in the field, 2005

The Outstanding Mediator Award, award given by the Ventura Center for Dispute Settlement, 2005

The Peacemaker Award, national award given by the Southern California Mediation Association, 1992

Association for Conflict Resolution, Executive Committee and Board of Directors, 2000 - 2002, Advanced Practitioner Member 2000- 2016

Academy of Family Mediators - Past President of the Board of Directors, 2000, Practitioner Member

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Life Member

Southern California Mediation Association Board of Directors, 1993-1995,

Ventura County Bar Association - Board of Directors,1989- 1992 

American Jurisprudence Award (Alternative Dispute Resolution)

Corpus Juris Secondum Award (Criminal Law and Constitutional Law)

Honor Societies: Phi Kappa Phi,  Alpha Lambda Delta, Mortar Board, Delta Theta Phi, Order of the Laurel

Publications

Meierding, Nina, "Looking to the Future - Is There Still a Place for Early Intervention, Pro-active Mediation in our Field?"  mediate.com, 2016

Meierding, Nina, "Staying Culturally Relevant in a Multicultural World." mediate.com, 2016

Meierding, Nina, "Managing the Communication Process in Mediation" in Divorce and Family Mediation - Models, Techniques and Applications, Edited by Folberg, Milne and Salem,  Guilford Press, 2004.

Meierding, Nina, "An Attorney's View of Mediation." Association of Family and Conciliation Courts California Review, 1995.

Meierding, Nina,  "Does Mediation Work - Long Term Satisfaction and Durability Rates for Privately Mediated Agreements." Mediation Quarterly, 1993, 11 (2) 157 - 170.

Meierding, Nina, "The Impact of Cultural and Religious Diversity in the Divorce Mediation Process." Mediation Quarterly, 1992, 9 (4), 297 - 305.