First Day Takeaways from Harvard Mediation Intensive Program

What an incredible start.

1. Outstanding faculty:Learning directly from Alain Lempereur and Audrey Lee is a privilege. Their clarity, depth and human-centered approach set the tone for an extraordinary week.

2. A global team:Although most participants come from across the US, our group also includes colleagues from Brazil, New Zealand and Europe. The diversity of perspectives makes every discussion richer and more grounded in real-world practice.

3. Sitting on the other side: I stepped into the role of a party and not the mediator and experienced firsthand what it feels like to be mediated. A humbling reminder of how powerful (and vulnerable) the process is for our clients.

4. My key focus for the week:

How to mediate when lawyers are actively involved in the process. This is a major theme in the US, where mediators are integrated into litigation. It raises important questions about roles, timing, alignment and how we can maintain clarity, neutrality and value in highly lawyer-driven environments.I see this as a huge potential to jointly ensure the best customer experience for parties involved in litigation.

Dora Zielske ready for Harvard Mediation Intensive November 2025