National Mediation Assessment – April ‘25

The College of Law’s National Mediation Assessment is comprised of a half day of mediation theory and review to prepare you for your full day of role-play assessment conducted via video conferencing. You will have the opportunity to ask any last minute questions.

Thursday (1pm – 5pm AEDT): Review of mediation models and theory
Friday (9am – 3.30pm AEDT): Role-play assessment

Please note that:

(a) to seek NMAS accreditation, you must have firstly completed a nationally recognised mediation training program, prior to completing your mediation assessment;

(b) in order to successfully pass the assessment, you must meet the assessment requirements of the National Mediation Accreditation Standards by demonstrating competency with respect to all aspects of the NMAS process and the necessary skills required to lead parties through the process (see NMAS Approval Standards Section 2.4); and

(c) in order to gain accreditation you must meet all of the approval requirements set out in the NMAS Approval Standards -you can view the NMAS Approval Standards here.

For further information, please contact our Customer and Student Engagement team on Tel (02) 9965 7111 or email cpd@collaw.edu.au

Practitioners seeking National Mediation Accreditation.

AEDT: Australian Eastern Daylight Time

If you intend to claim CPD units for this educational activity, please note that CPD activities are not accredited by the Law Society of NSW or any other equivalent local authority, with the exception of Western Australia. If you hold a practising certificate in a state or territory other than Western Australia and this educational activity extends your knowledge and skills in areas that are relevant to your practice needs or professional development, then you should claim one (1) "unit” for each hour of attendance, refreshment breaks not included. The annual requirement is ten (10) CPD units each year from 1 April to 31 March. Some practitioners, such as accredited specialists are required to complete more than ten (10) units each CPD year.

On successful completion, you can claim up to 9 CPD units.

Practitioners holding WA practising certificates are not eligible to earn CPD points for this course.

The course complies with the mandatory requirement of Professional Skills.

The College of Law can provide in-house mediation training aligned with the National Mediator Accreditation System (NMAS) and the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards (AMDRAS) for organisations in Australia and worldwide.

Whether you seek NMAS accreditation or mediation skills training for your staff, contact us to coordinate everything from enrolment to completion. The course can be delivered online or on-site at certain College campuses.

For more information, please contact:

Kerry Nguyen, Business Development Manager,
D: +61 03 8689 8631
E: b2b@collaw.edu.au

Or

Pia Castelli, Business Development Manager
D: +61 08 9214 0209
M: 0417 577 198
E: b2b@collaw.edu.au

Linda Kochanski AM

LLB, Nationally Accredited Mediator (NMAS), FDRP

Practice Leader, Dispute Resolution, The College of Law

Linda Kochanski was admitted as a Solicitor in Queensland, initially specialising in Family and Criminal Law. She gained extensive experience in various areas of law but discovered a particular interest in family law and mediation.

Linda subsequently worked for Relationships Australia in various roles including Branch Manager, Coordinator of Mediation and Senior Consultant in Mediation. She has practised in all forms of relationship mediation. Linda continues to practice mediation as a private practitioner specialising in relationship mediation.

Linda has been a Tutor and Lecturer since 1991 working initially as a tutor with QUT. Linda has worked as a Lecturer in Professional Legal Education for Griffith and Bond Universities as well as holding the position of Co Director Bond University Dispute Resolution Centre. She has also positions with the Australian Mediation Association and the University of Southern Queensland.

She is presently a Director on the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards Board and a Co Director of Global Training and Professional Development Ltd.

Linda has presented at national and international conferences on Mediation and Family Law and has published in these areas as well and has received industry awards for her work as a FDRP and DR Academic.

Linda is the current Practice Leader at The College of Law for both their Graduate Diploma in Family Dispute Resolution Practice and their suite of mediation programs.

Bianca Keys

Bianca Keys Dispute Resolution Consulting

Bianca Keys is a highly experienced Mediator (AMDRAS accredited), Facilitator, Trainer and Conflict Management Coach. She has been working as a dispute resolution practitioner since 2004, and as a mediation trainer since 2005.

Bianca operates her own consultancy, specialising in mediation and conflict management services for commercial, workplace and healthcare disputes. She was a Director on the Mediator Standards Board from 2014-2022 and Chairperson between 2019-2021. The Mediator Standards Board oversaw the previous National Mediator Accreditation System and established the revised Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation System (AMDRAS).

Bianca has diverse experience designing and implementing industry dispute resolution schemes. She has worked with Federal Government and Industry in the design and management of DR processes for the Australian franchising, horticulture, retail, petroleum, film exhibition, and wine making industries.

Bianca has delivered mediation training in Australia, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, and Bahrain. This variety has given her the opportunity to work with different cultures and to develop a broad understanding of training and accreditation needs. In addition, Bianca designs and delivers tailored conflict management and resolution skills workshops for organisations, and professional development workshops for mediators and conciliators.

Bianca has a legal background, although she now works solely as an ADR professional. She has been appointed to a number of mediation and conciliation panels, including the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission, NSW Small Business Commission, NSW Personal Injury Commission, NSW Farm Debt Mediation, the Australian Wine Industry Code, the Australian Disputes Centre, and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (Franchising and Small Business Disputes).

Bianca is a frequent contributor to industry publications and conferences and is consulted for her expertise in effective communication, conflict resolution and leadership. She is particularly passionate about training new mediators, in order to maintain a high standard of ADR service delivery in Australia.