How this all-star mediator built a fulfilling practice

In 2009, Frank Gomberg, one of Canada’s most sought-after mediators, was at the top of his game. He had become so proficient at his job that, no matter what case landed on his desk, he could perform his duties without much critical thought at all.

That might sound ideal, but there was a problem. “I had reached a plateau,” says Gomberg, a mediator at Gomberg Mediation Solutions. “I sensed that there was more fulfillment available.”

To rekindle his enthusiasm for the art of mediation, he enrolled in the alternative dispute resolution specialization of the Osgoode Professional LLM, a rigorous graduate program that he could complete on a part-time basis. It bore no resemblance to traditional law school. He and his peers weren’t there to compete for top marks on exams. Gomberg took advantage of the opportunity to write a number of papers on topics of his choosing. At one point, he took a deep dive into the social importance of the apology, and how vital it is to bring humanity to bitter legal disputes. “This observation bled into my daily work,” he says. “I became more sensitive.”

By the time he completed the program, he was full of passion for his career. “It was the best academic experience of my life,” he says. “There’s no doubt.”