2025 Conference Featured Presenter

We are thrilled to announce that Forrest (Woody) Mosten will attend the 2025 Annual Family Peacemakers Conference. Woody will be looking for moments to connect and converse with attendees, dine and dance at our Friday night event and then will wrap up the Conference on Saturday, May 3rd with a presentation (“End Note”) designed to engage attendees in a creative discussion about new ways to do the work we do. Woody is an experienced lawyer, mediator, and educator based in La Jolla, California who has devoted his career to advancing mediation and collaborative peacemaking both in the United States and globally, championing innovative and collaborative approaches to resolving conflict.

Background

Woody’s journey into mediation and peacemaking stemmed from his disillusionment with the adversarial nature of the legal profession. Despite being drawn to the law out of a desire to uphold justice and protect the rights of all people, he found the combative approach dominating the field to be antithetical to his values. After an early career featuring work with the Oglala Sioux Nation, United Farm Workers, and ACLU civil rights cases, he founded one of the first private legal clinics in the U.S. and served as a lawyer for disadvantaged communities.

Woody’s true calling, however, was as a peacemaker. Disenchanted with courtroom battles, he transitioned into family mediation, becoming one of the earliest practicing mediators in Los Angeles in the 1970s. At a time when mediation was still a fringe concept, viewed with skepticism by the legal establishment, Woody persisted and gradually built his practice by taking on the cases that other lawyers didn’t want to handle through court battles.

Championing Mediation

This formed the foundation of his life’s work to expand legal access and mediation as an alternative to adversarial processes. Over the decades, as the field has gained traction, Woody has championed mediation at a grassroots level, handling cases involving schools, religious groups, community boards and more. Simultaneously, he has worked to professionalize and spread mediation practices globally through his teaching, mentorship, writing, and active involvement in MBBI.

Cancellation Policy: If you cancel more than 30 days before the Conference we can refund your registration fee less a $20 administrative cost. If you cancel less than 30 days we cannot offer a refund.