Overview

Family Lawyer as Peacemaker is a groundbreaking work by Forrest S. Mosten and Lara Traum that redefines the role of the family lawyer as a healer, guide, and changemaker. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience, deep reflection, and a commitment to justice with a human face, Mosten and Traum offer a visionary blueprint for practicing law through empathy, collaboration, and sustainable conflict resolution. This comprehensive volume explores the principles, practices, and mindsets that transform family law into a peacemaking profession. From reshaping legal practice around healing and collaboration to cultivating self-awareness and emotional intelligence, the authors guide readers through the practical and philosophical foundations of peaceful lawyering. Whether navigating mediation, collaborative practice, prenuptial agreements, or long-term client relationships, the book provides concrete tools and frameworks to help professionals lead with presence and purpose. Throughout, the authors are joined by select contributors esteemed practitioners, interdisciplinary leaders, and a respected peacemaking judge who share stories from the field and perspectives on systemic reform. These contributions complement Mosten and Traum's central message: that lawyers can be agents of healing in families and communities. Rich with actionable strategies, real-life case examples, and visionary insight, Family Lawyer as Peacemaker is both a practical manual and a call to action. For family lawyers, mediators, and students seeking to serve with integrity, compassion, and courage, this book offers a path forward: one where peace is not a side effect, but the central mission of legal practice.

Full Product Details

9781639057146

Table of Contents

Reviews

From my seat as a mediator, I have seen litigation win cases at the cost of ongoing conflict and burned-out lawyers. Family Lawyer as Peacemaker offers an alternative to the adversarial norm by redefining what zealous advocacy can mean as collaboration toward resolution. Woody Mosten, Lara Traum, and top peacemakers are leading systemic change through healthier conversations, a change that is transforming how many of us work with families in conflict. -Matthew Carroll, Mediator, Adjunct Faculty, Northwestern University and Aurora University; President, Indiana Association of Mediators Family Lawyer as Peacemaker offers a transformative vision for legal practice - guiding both families and professionals through conflict with empathy, collaboration, healing, and justice. Drawing on real-world experience, innovative strategies, and timeless values, Forrest S. Mosten and Lara Traum show how lawyers and other professionals can become catalysts for lasting peace, at home and beyond. -Anthony D. Storm, CFLS, Storm Palyan LLP, President Beverly Hills Bar Association (2025–2026), Century City, CA Family law disputes - deeply personal and often painful - especially need the wisdom and hope that peacemaking offers. Woody Mosten has devoted his entire career to advancing this mission, and this powerful book with Lara Traum shows how lawyers can support healing. It both validates the deep personal commitment of those who already serve as peacemakers and inspires others to follow their lead. -John Lande, Isidor Loeb Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri School of Law, Columbia, MO This book masterfully guides lawyers on a transformative journey, first inward to cultivate the self-awareness and mindset of a peacemaker, then outward to restructure their services and master the practical tools of dialogue and conflict prevention. This is the essential guide for any lawyer ready to practice with greater integrity, compassion, and purpose. -Susan Guthrie, Family Law Attorney, mediator and author of The Practice Playbook Book Series, Chair of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, Chicago, IL Many peacemakers do their work in rarefied environments with diplomats and heads of state and the like. But families might be just as or even more tricky parties to conflicts - and more often than not, no one emerges a “winner.” A skilled mediator, negotiator or, more formally, peacemaker can be a godsend in the highly emotional context of a pitched family battle. This is a book that can guide and inspire the aspiring peacemaker because at the end of the day peace starts at home. -Abigail E. Disney, filmmaker, writer, philanthropist, and activist, New York City Family Lawyer as Peacemaker demonstrates that peacemaking is a vital component of family law practice. Woody Mosten, Lara Traum, and their contributors illustrate how our work can guide families towards peaceful processes and outcomes. -Shawn Weber, CLS-F, Lead Mediator and Trainer at Weber Dispute Resolution Family Lawyer as Peacemaker reimagines the lawyer’s role not as warrior, but as healer, guide, and peacemaker. Every family law professional - whether attorney, mediator, mental health professional, or policymaker - should read this book. It will change not only how you practice, but why you practice. -Patricia Van Haren While ‘lawyer’ and ‘peacemaker’ may sound like an unlikely pairing, Forrest Mosten and Lara Traum show how the two can - and must - go hand in hand. This book offers a compelling vision of lawyers as guides who help families navigate conflict with clarity, compassion, and purpose. Blending personal stories, practical tools, and case strategies with systemic insights, it provides an invaluable roadmap for professionals committed to transforming family law into a peace-centered practice. -Nancy Ross, LCSW, BCD A treasure trove of wisdom, innovative peacemaking expertise, and helpful practice building tools from family law peacemaker luminaries, this book is a must-read for every family lawyer, mental health practitioner, and financial professional who helps families navigating some of life’s most turbulent waters. -Dr. Carol Hughes, Psychotherapist, co-author of Home Will Never Be the Same Again: A Guide for Adult Children of Gray Divorce, Laguna Niguel, CA In collaborative practice and the wider peacemaking movement, much of our energy rightly goes into building and working within a like-minded professional community. In this inspiring collection, Woody and Lara bring together thought-provoking and insightful contributions that empower each individual practitioner - wherever they are in the world and whatever their role - to be impactful peacemakers. A resource to return to time and again! -Selina-jane Trigg, Lawyer, Christchurch, New Zealand This book is a thorough and extensive work to help practicing attorneys shift their understanding of ‘doing law.’ It describes how to move from an adversarial ‘win for your client’ mindset to a more compassionate, humane relationship with clients on both sides. It addresses the individual practitioner as well as a corresponding retooling of the entire judicial system. It provides a superior vehicle for helping attorneys to find a much more fulfilling and meaningful way to do their professional lives. -The Rev. Dr. John W. Heister, Founding President, New York State Council on Divorce Mediation, Rochester, NY Drawing on wisdom from the leading voices in mediation and collaborative law, this book offers both inspiration and a practical roadmap for lawyers ready to expand their role beyond advocacy into true peacemaking. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or just beginning your journey, this book will change the way you see your work and the impact it can have on families and communities. -Robyn Weinstein, Director, Cardozo Mediation Clinic; Associate Director, Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution

Author Information

Forrest (Woody) Mosten has been in private mediation practice in Los Angeles since 1979 and teaches mediation as Adjunct Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law. He trains professionals in mediation from basic to advanced courses and is in constant demand worldwide as a conference keynote speaker and expert witness on mediation. Mr. Mosten serves as a mediator in the following practice areas: Business and Partnerships, Real Estate, Commercial Litigation, Family Law, and other disputes involving complex legal and financial issues and high conflict of the parties. Mr. Mosten is the author of four books and numerous articles on mediation and other dispute resolution topics. Mr. Mosten was a 2009 ABA Frank Sander Co-Lecturer and has been recipient of the ABA Lawyer as Problem Solver Award, ABA Lifetime Legal Access Award, Los Angeles County Bar Louis M. Brown Conflict Prevention Award, and was named by the Southern California Mediation Association as Peacemaker of the Year. He is the founding Chair of the Beverly Hills Bar Dispute Resolution Section and has received two major awards for his work in mediation from that organization. Lara Traum, Esq. is a collaborative attorney, mediator, parenting coordinator, and conflict resolution educator. She practices as an attorney in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and as a mediator national and internationally. As partner at Roytberg Traum Law & Mediation, P.C., Lara co-leads a mission-driven “peacemaking life-cycle” firm that specializes in family and matrimonial law, estate planning, and cross-cultural dispute resolution. Her work extends from prenuptial and postnuptial planning, through divorce mediation, parenting coordination, and trust and estate mediation, always guided by values of integrity, productive pathways to resolution, access to services, and deep human connection. Lara earned her J.D., cum laude, from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where she concentrated in Family & Matrimonial Law and received the prestigious Jacob Burns Medal for scholastic excellence. As Editor-in-Chief of the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution, she led scholarly discourse on conflict transformation and family mediation. Lara also distinguished herself in competition, taking first place at both national and international Cyberweek eMediation contests, and securing second place in the Northeast ABA Representation in Mediation Competition. Lara began practicing as a mediator in 2013 under the Part 146 approval of the New York State Unified Court System. She completed comprehensive mediation training with the New York Center for Interpersonal Development (Berner/Stadler); the Cardozo Divorce Mediation Clinic; and Mosten Mediation Training. At the Mosten Mediation Training, she served as an assistant trainer under Forrest S. Mosten, mentoring new mediators herself and contributing to the field’s growth. She now serves as a mediation skills trainer for the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation, and at her own training business, PeaceChord LLC. An accomplished writer and author, Lara co-authored the 2023 ABA book Effectively Representing Clients in Family Mediation (with Forrest S. Mosten and Hon. Elizabeth Potter Scully). Her scholarly chapters and articles are found in books and journals published by the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution, Family Court Review, covering themes such as interdisciplinary teamwork, integration of cultural considerations in mediation, preventive conflict wellness, and modern mediation strategies. Lara holds leadership roles in numerous professional organizations. She is the immediate past president of the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation (2023–2025), an officer on the Board of Directors of the Zamir Choral Foundation, a director on the Board of COJECO (Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations), and a member of Long Island Collaborative Divorce Professionals, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, New York Association of Collaborative Professionals, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Academy of Professional Family Mediators, and other organizations. Before her legal career, Lara was a classical singer and pianist, and an administrator and conductor with the Zamir Choral Foundation. She performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and conducted a chapter of the HaZamir teen choir. Lara is fluent in Russian and brings deep cultural nuance to her practice, serving clients across diverse communities in Queens, New York, internationally, and in interfaith contexts. She is committed to accessible conflict resolution and promotes “moderate means” sliding-scale access to services. Lara Traum can be reached at www.goodlawfirm.com for mediation, legal, and parenting coordination services and at www.peacechord.com for training and strategic planning services.

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