Mediation jobs usually come after at least a decade of experience, but for Chapman 3L Amanda Singer, her mediation job will start immediately following graduation and the Bar Exam.

Through her self-determination and the help of Chapman’s Mediation Clinic, ADR Board, and two negotiation competitions, Amanda has already secured post-graduation employment in mediation. In addition to earning her Juris Doctorate at Chapman Law School, Amanda has been simultaneously pursuing a Masters of Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University which has bolstered her resume. Amanda says that her interest in mediation goes back to her undergrad studies at Brandeis University. It was there that she took her first class on conflict resolution and mediation. After graduating from Brandeis, she worked in youth programming at a synagogue but when the market crashed in 2008, she found herself out of a job like so many young Americans. This gave Amanda the impetus to aggressively pursue her field of interest.

Amanda chose Chapman Law School because of our renowned Mediation Clinic led by Professor David Dowling. “Professor Dowling has been a great mentor to me and participating in his mediation clinic has been one of my best experiences at law school. The clinic has allowed me to gain hands-on experience mediating cases while I’m still a student; that definitely helped me obtain externships and a job in the area I want,” said Amanda.

Before landing her mediation position, Amanda found an externship at the San Diego Family Mediation Center after sending out emails to all the family mediation practices in San Diego. Through the contacts she made at the San Diego Family Mediation Center, Amanda has been offered post-graduation employment at The Divorce Help Clinic in San Diego.

“I think Chapman has done a great job of providing a variety of legal skills classes and clinics and I hope that they continue this in the future as it provides great experiences for students outside of the classroom,” says Singer.

Indeed, the demand for hands-on skills learning is growing among the legal community. Because of this, Professor Dowling has recently announced that he is expanding the Mediation Clinic to include a separate specialization in Juvenile Mediation. In today’s job market, it is essential that students get out of the classroom and get relevant experience.