Hey Mike. I don’t get it. I go to mediation and we spend most of the day talking about the case, the law, the facts, you know, that stuff we went to law school to figure out. And then all of a sudden it’s like a switch has been thrown and we ignore all of that and just start tossing numbers back and forth like a hot potato. What gives? Why don’t we skip all that gab fest at the beginning and just get down to it? — Impatient In Inland Empire–

Mediator Mike: Are mediators fungible like colas – I mean seriously, can you tell one from another, and does it really matter? Or are they subtler, like fine wines, to be paired with the right dish for greatest effectiveness? And assuming all you mediators are not interchangeable, what tips do you have for a party to select the best mediator possible for a dispute? –L.A. Wine Connoisseur…and Litigator–

(See below for Reader “Curious Litigant’s” original question and the original answer.) Curious Litigant asked in a prior question (below) “What makes a good mediation brief?” In typical overly-verbose Mike Young fashion, I gave some basic tips that will lead to a perfectly adequate brief in most cases, one that is short, to the point, and easy. But the challenge is … as it always is … can you do better?

QUESTION: Hello Mike, You offer as a suggested question, “What makes a good mediation brief?” Yes, I’d like your comments on that. Thank you. –Curious Litigant–