Civil and Commercial Mediation
Download application documents
Scheme membership
There are two levels of membership:
If you are interested in becoming a scheme member, select one of the types of membership above to learn more. If you have any queries about scheme membership requirements, contact the Accreditation Unit (t: 0870 606 2566).
If you are already a member, view information about maintaining membership, known as re-accreditation.Useful links
The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) is an independent, non-profit organisation supported by multinational business and leading professional bodies. CEDR aims to encourage and develop mediation and other cost-effective dispute resolution and prevention techniques in commercial and public sector disputes.
Law Society Civil Justice Section
The Law Society Civil Justice Section (formerly the Dispute Resolution Section) focuses on all areas of civil justice including arbitration, litigation and mediation. Law sections are representative membership associations offering CPD training and best practice information and advice.
The Law Society has a dedicated website for accreditation scheme members which offers secure access to the Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme logo.
Code of practice
All members of the Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme must agree to abide by the code of practice for civil and commercial mediators, set out at annex B of the scheme guidance and criteria document.
The code deals with the fundamentals of civil/commercial mediation. It doesn't cover every situation that may arise.
The code covers aspects of mediation work such as the following:
- not giving advice to the parties
- the objectives of mediation
- conflicts of interest
- confidential information
- the impartiality of the mediator
- decision-making
- power imbalances
Failure to comply with the code of practice may result in disciplinary action.
Continuing professional development
General members of the Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme are expected to undertake a minimum total of 16 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) activities in civil/commercial mediation issues during their general membership; they are required maintain a record of such training.
Practitioner members of the scheme are expected to undertake a minimum total of 24 hours of CPD in civil/commercial mediation issues during their initial three-year practitioner membership and/or to comply with any specific training requirements that may from time to time be imposed by the Law Society; they are required maintain a record of such training.
Lecturing, distance learning, Legal Network TV and other activities eligible for credit under the SRA's CPD scheme (but not the basic minimum of 24 hours of mediation training) may be counted towards the CPD requirements.
General members
What do general members do?
General membership of the Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme is for a one-off two-year period. It is a stepping stone to practitioner membership for solicitors and legal executives who lack the experience required to apply directly for practitioner membership.
At some point during their two-year period as general members, they must apply to become practitioner members.
Practitioner membership guarantees a potential client that an individual has sufficient mediation experience to act as a lead mediator.
Non-members of the scheme are not barred in any way from working in mediation. However, mediators who belong to our Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme are guaranteed to have achieved a given level of competence, and they have agreed to abide by a code of practice.
All mediators who belong to the scheme have successfully completed training approved by the Law Society.
How are general members assessed?
All general members have:
- a minimum of three years' of experience as a solicitor or legal executive
- attended an approved training course
- submitted an application covering civil and commercial mediation practice (applications are graded by independent practitioners)
- agreed to comply with the competencies for civil/commercial mediators
- agreed to be bound by the Law Society's code of practice for civil/commercial mediators.
How can solicitors and legal executives become general members?
If you are a solicitor or legal executive and are interested in becoming a general member of the Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme, please download:
- Professional accreditation schemes: application criteria and guidance notes (PDF, 86kb)
- Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme criteria and guidance notes (PDF, 223kb)
These documents contain comprehensive information about applying for general membership.
Practitioner members
What can practitioner members do?
Practitioner members of the Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme have sufficient mediation experience to act as lead mediators.
Non-members of the scheme are not barred in any way from working in mediation.
The Law Society has defined essential competencies and established a code of practice for civil/commercial mediators. All scheme members have agreed to abide by these rules.
Mediators who are scheme members have successfully completed a training course approved by the Law Society.
How are practitioner members assessed?
All members have:
- a minimum of three years' experience as a solicitor or legal executive
- attended an approved training course
- submitted an application covering civil and commercial mediation practice (applications are graded by independent practitioners)
- agreed to comply with the competencies for civil/commercial mediators
- agreed to be bound by the Law Society's code of practice for civil/commercial mediators.
Practitioner members must renew their membership, in a process known as re-accreditation, when their first two years of scheme membership end; subsequently, they must do so every five years.
How can solicitors and legal executives become practitioner members?
If you are interested in becoming a practitioner member of the Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme, please download:
- Professional accreditation schemes: application criteria and guidance notes (PDF, 86kb)
- Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme criteria and guidance notes (PDF, 223kb)
- application form (PDF, 121kb)
These documents contain comprehensive information about applying for practitioner membership.
Following the development route, you first apply to become a general member, after which you have two years in which to achieve the level of expertise required to become a practitioner member.
If you already have the required level of expertise, you can apply immediately to become a practitioner member without having been a general member; this is known as the direct route.
Re-accreditation
Scheme membership doesn't last for ever: every few years, it must be renewed. We call this process re-accreditation.
Re-accreditation is a way of assuring consumers that members of the Civil and Commercial Mediation Accreditation Scheme always meet the requirements for membership.
There is no re-accreditation process for general members. General membership is granted strictly for a one-off two-year period.
Practitioner members must apply for re-accreditation after their first two years of membership. Subsequently, they must re-accredit every five years. At a meeting on 15 September 2008, the SRA's Education and Training Committee extended the membership of all Civil and Commercial Accreditation Scheme practitioner members to 1 January 2010.
All solicitors must undertake appropriate training and development activities every year, as stipulated by the SRA's continuing professional development requirements.
Please contact the Accreditation Unit for information about re-accreditation.