The Self-Led Lawyer and Mediator

The Self-Led Lawyer and Mediator is an online healing workshop that brings the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model into legal and mediation practice. It is led by David A. Hoffman, an attorney, mediator, Harvard Law School Lecturer and author, and it runs live on Zoom over six weekly sessions. It is designed for lawyers, mediators and conflict-resolution professionals, as well as legal educators and law students, who want more self-awareness, steadiness and compassion in their work. No prior knowledge of IFS is needed.

What to Expect

The workshop meets on six consecutive Wednesdays, from noon to 3 p.m. Eastern, for three hours of live, interactive instruction each time. Each week takes up one theme, and the sequence moves from the practitioner outward to clients, negotiation and conflict.

- Week 1, IFS Basics: Parts and Self. An introduction to the core vocabulary of parts and Self, with orientation for anyone new to the model.
- Week 2, IFS for Self-Awareness and Compassion. The framework is turned inward, toward your own responses, to develop steadiness and compassion within professional work.
- Week 3, IFS as a Tool for Client Awareness and Compassion. Recognizing the internal conflicts a client brings into the room, and approaching client material with curiosity and restraint.
- Week 4, IFS in Negotiation: Mapping the Inner Table. Examining the internal dynamics that shape bargaining positions, and applying parts-based mapping to preparing for and conducting a negotiation.
- Week 5, IFS in Conflict: Navigating Tough Conversations. Working with reactivity in high-stakes or contentious exchanges, and practicing self-leadership when a conversation begins to stall.
- Week 6, Ethics of Using IFS in Legal and Mediation Practice. Considering scope, consent and the boundaries of professional role, and reflecting on the responsible use of a therapeutic model in legal settings.

Throughout, parts and Self are treated as working tools: ways of noticing what is happening inside you under pressure, and of understanding what may be happening across the table.

About David A. Hoffman

David A. Hoffman, JD, is a founding member of Boston Law Collaborative and a Lecturer at Harvard Law School. He is a nationally respected attorney and mediator, a TEDx speaker and an award-winning author, and he is a pioneering advocate for integrating IFS into legal and mediation work. He brings decades of experience to the material.

About Richard Schwartz and the IFS Model

The model behind the workshop was created by Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, who began as a systemic family therapist and academic. Listening to clients describe various parts within themselves, he developed IFS and found that when those parts felt safe and were allowed to relax, clients spontaneously experienced confidence, openness and compassion, qualities he came to call the Self. IFS holds that the mind is naturally multiple, and that this is healthy: like members of a family, inner parts can be pushed into extreme roles but also carry valuable qualities of their own.

Before You Go

The workshop is open to all levels. Newcomers are welcome, as are those who already know something of the model. It is taught in English and held entirely online, so you only need a way to join a Zoom session for the three-hour block each Wednesday. Participants receive six live sessions led by David A. Hoffman, with instruction in IFS basics, self-awareness, client awareness, negotiation, conflict and ethics.