On October 16, 2017, Proskauer’s Chicago office hosted a conflict resolution workshop with students from Muchin College Prep in connection with Proskauer’s Adopt-a-School program.

The workshop was presented by The Center for Conflict Resolution (“CCR”), which is an independent not-for-profit organization that works with individuals, communities, courts and other institutions to provide mediation-based services to manage and resolve conflict.

Working with CCR trainers, the students learned how to identify their conflict resolution style, as well as the style of others with whom they frequently interact.  The students also learned how to evaluate conflict through five approaches: competition, accommodation, avoidance, compromise and collaboration.  Finally, the interactive program taught students how to manage conflict – with a focus on conflict within a high school setting – and negotiate with others to create durable and meaningful resolutions.

The students were receptive to the training and were eager to try to apply the skills that they learned in their everyday lives.  Proskauer partner Steve Gilford, who serves on CCR’s Board of Directors and is a CCR volunteer mediator, also participated in the training with the students.   Noting the enthusiasm of the students for the training, Steve added that “finding ways to resolve conflict constructively and realistically is one of the major problems facing Chicago youth and our need to reduce violence in our city.  These kinds of trainings provide a vehicle for students to begin to learn the tools they need to deal with conflict for the rest of their lives.”

Due to the workshop’s success, Proskauer plans to expand its relationship with CCR and provide conflict resolution programming to its Adopt-a-School relationships across the country.

Proskauer’s Adopt-a-School program provides mentoring and enrichment workshops to public school students in five U.S. cities:  Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.  During the 2016-2017 school year, 216 Proskauer volunteers worked with 65 students, led 37 enrichment workshops and volunteered 453 hours.

For the last four years, Proskauer’s Chicago Office has partnered with Muchin College Prep to provide after-school programming aimed at helping the students develop skills and build relationships for future success.  Prior sessions have included:  resume writing, financial planning and networking workshops, life skills training, community service projects, a tour of the federal courthouse and a meet and great with a prominent federal judge.