In its annual list of best careers, U.S. News & World Report names mediator as a top choice for 2009. The US News & World Report highlights a mediator's important role in settling disputes and conflicts, citing it as a less expensive option than going to court. It argues that the tough economic times may lead more people to seek out the services of mediators. With litigation costs skyrocketing, more individuals and corporations are turning to mediators to settle their legal disputes outside the courtroom. As the field of alternative dispute resolution expands, mediators are growing in number and popularity.
Further, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics within the U.S. Department of Labor, the Mediation profession is expected to grow as fast as the average through 2016, and the Paralegal/Legal Assistant profession is expected to grow even faster. This source also indicates that mediators earned a median income of $49,490.
Furthermore, formally trained mediators have excellent employment potential. Employers and private law practices increasingly hire mediators to cut costs and improve efficiency in their legal services. In fact, for many attorneys, leading their clients to mediation proves to be in the clients’ best interest, saving them time, money and undue anguish while allowing litigators to focus on cases that cannot be resolved by mediation.
