Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cardozo Mediation Clinic continued mediating for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over the Zoom platform.  The transition to Zoom was seamless and the Clinic was able to settle cases after the in-person hearings at the EEOC were suspended.  EEOC cases expanded students’ opportunities to work with diverse matters beyond the community and civil court cases they mediated prior to the pandemic.

Gila Sohn, a 3L student, worked with Professor Erez-Navot on the EEOC cases. She said, “I read through the case materials and helped prepare for the mediation by speaking to both of the parties’ attorneys to get a better sense of what their interests were before mediating the case. Mediating an EEOC case was an incredible learning opportunity. I got to see how a seasoned mediator navigates sensitive issues involving employment. This was also the first time that I was part of a mediation that involved lawyers on both sides, so it was eye-opening to see the roles that lawyers play in mediations.”

In addition to the EEOC mediations, Clinic students continued to sharpen their mediation skills by doing cross-school mediations with Brooklyn Law School and New York Law School through Zoom.  Two nights per week, students were able to enhance their mediation skills by mediating between students from other schools, which made it more interesting and engaging.