Nashville Conflict Resolution Center

10/08/2026

On Tuesday, October 27, join us for a Lunch and Learn with Lily Corley, a recent graduate of Lipscomb University Institute for Conflict Management Master's program and Elizabeth McMillan, Assistant Professor of Conflict Management at Lipscomb. We will explore how the creative arts offer mediators new tools to build understanding, cultivate empathy, and get people back on the same team.

The session will cover:
🔵 Whole-person, integrative problem-solving
🔵 How the imagination and body hold important information for mediators
🔵 Why "being rational" doesn't always work
🔵 How storytelling can help unlock information and overcome barriers
🔵 Global examples of creative peacebuilding
🔵 Practical exercises to warm up the body, activate the imagination, and cultivate empathy before a mediation

Learn more and register today:

NCRC Lunch and Learns are noontime presentations on a variety of topics relevant to mediators, the legal field, and anyone interested in the challenges...

10/01/2026

We had such a wonderful time at this year’s Mediation Matters Luncheon! Because of your generosity, we raised $47,000 to keep mediation accessible for those who need it most. 🌱

We were proud to celebrate Nashville School of Law Dean William C. Koch, Jr. for his dedication to conflict resolution and touched by Judge Kee Bryant-McCormick’s keynote that brought the real stories of mediation to life. It’s so special to be able to gather in a room with people who believe that conflict doesn’t have to be the end of a relationship. Your support helps us create the conditions for resolution to take root so that families heal, neighbors reach agreements, and communities move forward from conflict together. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our sponsors who make our work possible.

Thank you!! 💙

📸 Elle Jackson Photography

09/21/2026

🌱 Mediation Matters is tomorrow and we want to take the chance to celebrate our Defender sponsors who make our work possible!

Thank you to Brown Advisory, Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC, HCA Healthcare, Lipscomb University, Miles Mediation & Arbitration, Spire and Studio Bank for supporting our mission and being champions of community mediation. You help us grow common ground in our communities by ensuring that conflict resolution remains accessible to those who need it most.

See you tomorrow!

09/18/2026

🌱 Thank you to our Protector Sponsors!

Mediation Matters wouldn't be possible without the generosity of our sponsors, and we want to take a moment to recognize our Protector supporters, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and Burr & Forman.

Your investment helps us cultivate common ground across our community by supporting the mediators, programs, and resources that make community mediation happen. You help us turn conflict into conversations of healing that help families, neighbors, and communities move forward together. We’re so grateful for your partnership! Thank you for helping resolution take root.

09/16/2026

Meet our Mediation Matters heroes who cultivate common ground in our community! 🌱

We’re thrilled to welcome Judge Kee Bryant-McCormick as our Mediation Matters keynote speaker. Each week, we mediate cases off the docket in the Sumner County General Session Court, where Judge Bryant-McCormick is one of the biggest champions for conflict resolution. She encourages pro-se cases to consider mediation and truly believes that it’s a tool that can leave everyone happy and feeling heard.

And we’re honored to celebrate William C. Koch, Dean of the Nashville School of Law, who holds over 30 years of distinguished judicial service, having served on the Tennessee Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. His lifelong commitment to justice has made him a leader in conflict resolution.

We look forward to seeing you on September 22 as we celebrate community mediation and our heroes’ dedication to conflict resolution!

09/14/2026

Mediation Matters is next week! On September 22, we’ll be celebrating community mediation and honoring the heroes who cultivate common ground in our community. This year’s theme celebrates the power of community mediation to create conditions where resolution takes root. We’re looking forward to connecting with you at the event!

🌱Can’t make it or want to do even more? You can still help us plant seeds of resolution with a gift to support our programs and mediators who turn conflict into lasting solutions. Consider becoming a monthly donor to help us grow our work all year long.

Mediation Matters: Cultivating Common Ground https://giving.gofundme.com/campaign/829197/donate

07/21/2026

📣 On Tuesday, August 18, join us for a Lunch and Learn with interpreter Diana Sanchez-Vega, to discuss how legal professionals and mediators can effectively work with a spoken language interpreter.

🔵 Review legal requirements and interpreter credential levels
🔵 Understand the role of interpreters in mediation and conflict resolution
🔵 Receive recommendations on how to work as a team with interpreters

Learn more and register today! This course is approved for 1 hour of CME credit.

NCRC Lunch and Learns are noontime presentations on a variety of topics relevant to mediators, the legal field, and anyone interested in the challenges and strategies of conflict resolution.

05/19/2026

Conflict often brings unresolved trauma into the mediation room.

On Tuesday, June 30, join us for a Lunch and Learn, presented by Simone Cawl, MSW, that helps mediators recognize trauma’s influence on behavior, communication, and negotiation, while maintaining neutrality and professionalism.

You will be able to:
Describe how trauma affects the brain, body, and interpersonal dynamics
Recognize trauma-related behaviors
Evaluate mediation scenarios for potential trauma triggers and ethical concerns, and integrate trauma-informed principles into the mediation structure
Explain how trauma-informed practice strengthens Rule 31 ethical obligations

This course is approved for 1 hour of general, mediation issues, or ethics credits and 1 hour CLE credits.

Learn more and register today:

NCRC Lunch and Learns are noontime presentations on a variety of topics relevant to mediators, the legal field, and anyone interested in the challenges and strategies of conflict resolution.

05/12/2026

Save the date for Mediation Matters!
📅 Tuesday, September 22, 2026
📍Hillwood Country Club

This year’s Mediation Matters Luncheon theme, Cultivating Common Ground, celebrates the power of community mediation to create the conditions where resolution takes root and transforms conflict into collaboration. Join us to invest in the work of building peaceful homes, neighborhoods, and communities, and to honor those whose commitment to community mediation has helped plant seeds of understanding where it was needed most. Add Mediation Matters to your calendar today!

Save the date!The Mediation Matters Luncheon returns on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at Hillwood Country Club. This year’s theme, Cultivating Common Ground, celebrates the power of community mediation to create the conditions where resolution takes root and transforms conflict into collaboration. J...

05/08/2026

This spring, NCRC and Belmont University College of Law piloted a partnership that offers law students an experiential learning opportunity to observe mediation.

Two third-year law students, Nick Hayden and Catharine Fennell, spent the semester observing real mediations across civil and family cases, witnessing people navigate some of the hardest moments of their lives and how mediation can heal conflicts and restore relationships. They also researched community mediation topics relevant to our work, wrapping up the semester with a presentation and executive summary.

"This partnership... creates a bridge between legal education and real-world community needs, ensuring that future attorneys understand both the human side of conflict and the power of early, constructive intervention." - Shannon Wagner, NCRC Executive Director

We're grateful to Belmont Law for recognizing the value of community-based learning, and excited to be building a culture of resolution in Nashville together. 💙

You can read the full article by Belmont here: https://www.belmont.edu/stories/articles/2026/conflict-resolution-clinic-pilot-semster.html