How To Become A Legal Mediator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a legal mediator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Amanda Reinke

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a legal mediator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $30.04 an hour? That's $62,473 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a legal mediator?

Amanda Reinke

Kennesaw State University

Many industries are looking for conflict resolution experts with adaptable skills. As you embark on a career in conflict resolution, ask yourself: what is my niche? It could be a specific skillset in conflict resolution (e.g., facilitation, negotiation, mediation, etc.) or an area of work (e.g., healthcare, employment settings, court, contracts, etc.). Look for opportunities to network, and for continuing education opportunities to deepen your knowledge in the niche you have identified.

ScoreLegal MediatorUS Average

Salary

4.9

Avg. Salary $62,473

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 6.28%

Black or African American 5.44%

Hispanic or Latino 7.66%

Unknown 4.36%

White 75.95%

Gender

female 64.71%

male 35.29%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a legal mediator

Explore legal mediator education requirements

Most common legal mediator degrees

Bachelor's

53.3 %

Master's

23.3 %

High School Diploma

10.0 %

Start to develop specific legal mediator skills

Skills	Percentages
Mediation	83.25%
Litigation	16.75%

Complete relevant legal mediator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New legal mediators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a legal mediator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real legal mediator resumes.

Research legal mediator duties and responsibilities

Manage litigation discovery process, including coordinating electronic and tangible document production, as well as litigation record hold obligations.
Work closely with the better business bureau/customer while on mediation conference calls to settle customer claims.
Provide training to departments on mediation and litigation relate to foreclosure.
Research and documentation of customer repairs to work toward resolution and prepare for arbitration if need.

Apply for legal mediator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a legal mediator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams