Nearly anyone can mediate, but too many professionals wait until the end of their legal practice to pursue a career in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) when they can really start right now. You don’t necessarily need decades of experience of practicing law to build a successful mediation practice—though of course it doesn’t hurt.

An attorney who has tried or closed hundreds of cases can be as effective of a mediator as an attorney who has closed thousands of cases. Building a mediation practice requires time, diligence, and skill, all of which can be obtained within few years of legal practice. So why wait to put yourself “out there” professionally as a mediator?