Instructor Spotlight: Jameson Lingl

Jameson Lingl is a conflict analyst and mediator with almost 20 years of experience in conflict engagement and resolution experience. He became interested in conflict resolution as a child when his lawyer dad shifted his work from litigation to mediation and started teaching him conflict resolution techniques—skills that he said made his life as a teenager much richer. Today, Lingl sees the value that conflict resolution can bring to every field of work and every faucet of life. He joins UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education as the instructor of the course 40-Hour Mediation.  

Why do you teach?

I teach for two reasons. First, I teach to be a better practitioner. Re-exploring these concepts, skills and techniques helps to ingrain them into my practice. Also, engaging in these concepts and techniques with individuals from different backgrounds and life experiences helps me think about them from new perspectives and allows me to move forward with more richness from the material.

The second reason is that I genuinely believe in the promise of conflict resolution. As individuals, we are shaped by the world around us—the systems, the organizations, the communities—in a top-down way. To me, conflict resolution promises that once enough individuals within a system are trained in conflict resolution, the system will begin to transform into something more peaceful, just and livable. Teaching is a practical way of helping to create a safer, more accessible, and prosperous world for children to grow up in.  

Why is education or training in conflict resolution important?

If students want to practice mediation, this training is critical for getting their foot in the door to mediate in the civil court systems to gain experience. Even if students don't take that path, this training will help improve their professional and personal relationships, too. It doesn't matter what your professional field is; if you are better at working with people, you will be more successful throughout your career.  

How will learning conflict resolution positively impact a student's life or career?

Learning conflict resolution gives people technical skills which help communication and productivity, but it's more than that. It changes the way we experience and engage with the world. Studies show that conflict resolution helps us have a deeper understanding of the people we interact with, improves our relationships, allows us to become more decisive with our problems, fosters transformative innovation and improves our emotional well-being.  

What do you want students to take away from your course?

I want students to come away from this course with a new mental framework for what conflict is and that what matters is the process of how we engage in conflict. I want students to learn practical skills for managing and navigating conflict—either as a third party or an individual directly experiencing disagreement—to turn every social interaction into an opportunity for a truly transformative experience.  

What jobs or career advancement opportunities are available to those with conflict resolution training?

Conflict and conflict resolution are growth industries. Experienced mediators may pursue work in the legal, government, private or international sectors. However, while conflict resolution and mediation have seen significant growth over the past several decades and will continue to grow––the number of individuals seeking to work in mediation is increasing at an even faster rate than the demand. That means, individuals who want to work in mediation must develop their skills through training and volunteering.  

People participating in this training will find that they are more prepared for career advancement regardless of their profession.