Jerald A. Kessler

Bar / Professional Activity

• Presented at annual Family Law Conference, Lake County Bar Association, "The 2025 Model Standards of Practice for Family Mediation.", 2026
• I have trained civil and family mediators for the Illinois State Bar Association starting in 2022 and have continued to do so in 2023 and 2024., 2025
• Selected to serve as vice-chair of the Illinois State Bar Association's Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Council.  , 2026
• President, Mediation Council of Illinois, 1995 - 1999; 2020 -
• Trained small claims mediators on behalf of the 19th Judicial Circuit, Waukegan, Illinois., 2024
• Illinois, 1973
• Incorporator, Founding Secretary, Fellow (2002 - present), Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, 2002 - 2004
• Chairman, Lawyer Referral Committee, Lake County Bar Association, 1998
• Founding Treasurer, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Illinois., 2013
• Board Member, North Suburban Service Council, 1994 - Present
• President, North Suburban Service Council, 2001 - 2003
• Chairman, Lawyer Referral Committee, Lake County Bar Association, 1994-1996
• Secretary, Association of Women Attorneys of Lake County, 2000 - Present
• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
• Board of Directors, Mediation Council of Illinois, 1993 - Present
• Member, Family Law Committee, Lake County Bar Association
• Member, Matrimonial Law Committee, Chicago Bar Association

Special Licenses / Certifications

• Approved Panel Member, Lake County Bar Association Mediation Program
• Mediation, Center for Conflict Resolution, Chicago, mediation of cases for Illinois Department of Human Rights and Circuit Court of Cook County
• Certified Mediator, Domestic Relations Division, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, 2014
• United States Postal Service REDRESS Program since 1999
• Founding Member and Advanced Practitioner Member, Academy of Professional Family Mediators
• Approved Panel Member, Mediation Council of Illinois Referral Service
• Agriculture Mediation Program, U.S.D.A., certified program for Illinois (mediation of USDA programs such as environment, contract disputes, land use, lending, housing)
• Mediator, Americans With Disabilities Act Claims, Key Bridge Foundation, Washington, D.C.
• Mediation, federal EEO claims for the Social Security Administration
• Approved Panelist for Association for Conflict Resolution Referral List
• Certified Mediator, 19th Judicial Circuit, Lake County, Illinois - Family Mediation Panel
• Certified Mediator, 19th Judicial Circuit, Lake County, Illinois - Civil Mediation Panel
• Certified Civil Mediation, 19th Judicial Circuit Certified Mediator, Probate Division, 19th Judicial Circuit, Lake County, Illinois
• Advanced Practitioner Member, Association for Conflict Resolution

Pro bono / Community Service

• Advanced Practitioner, Academy of Professional Family Mediators

Educational Background

• University of Chicago, B.A., Major: Political Science, Honors: Special Honors, 1969

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• "Triage of New Clients for ADR" Association of Family and Conciliation Court, Illinois Chapter, Chicago, October 7, 2014
• “Introduction to the Role of Parenting Coordinator”, co-presenter, Annual Conference of the Mediation Council of Illinois, Harper College, Palatine, Illinois, May 3, 2013
• Confidentiality in Mediation,” Lake County Bar Association, February, 2013
• “Voluntary Mediation Program” for McHenry County family Law Judges and Mediation Committee, Woodstock, Illinois, January 31, 2013
• "Mediation Ethics”, McHenry County Bar Association and Family Mediation Advisory Council, McHenry, Illinois, October 28, 2011
• Dispute Resolution Institute, Inc., Advanced Mediation Training, Springfield, Illinois, September 23-24, 2016
• Loyola University Law School, Applying Neurobiology in Negotiation and Mediation, Jeremy Lack, Esq., (of Geneva, London, New York), August 16, 2016
• Annual Conference, Mediation Council of Illinois, May 6, 2016
• Annual Conference, Wisconsin Association of Mediators, March 17-18, 2016, Johnson Creek, Wisconsin
• Advanced ADA Training, Key Bridge Foundation, June 11 and 18, 2015
• Dispute Resolution Institute, Advanced Mediation Training, September 19-20, 2014, Springfield, Illinois. Prof. C.J. Larkin, Washington University School of Law
• Dispute Resolution Institute, Inc., Advanced Mediator Training, Springfield, IL, September 27-28, 2013, Prof. C.J. Larkin, Washington University School of Law
• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, “Nuts and Bolts of Parenting Coordination: Helping High Conflict Parents Resolve Disputes,” March4-5, 2013, Chicago, Joan B. Kelly, PhD
• Eldercare/Adult Guardianship Mediation Training, Mediation Training and Consultation Institute, Chicago, November 29-December 1, 2012, Zena Zumeta
• Dispute Resolution Institute, Inc., Advanced Mediator Training, St. Louis, MO., October 28-29, 2012; Prof. C.J. Larkin, Washington University School of Law, Trainer
• "What Lawyers Can Do to Facilitate Mediation", Family Law Seminar, Lake County Bar Association, 2003
• Annual Conference, Association of Family & Conciliation Courts, Chicago, June 6-9, 2012
• Visiting Lecturer, undergraduate and graduate level Conflict Resolution, North Central College, 2000-2003
• Instructor, DePaul University College of Commerce, 1980-1981
• Instructor, DePaul University College of Commerce, 1987
• Lecturer, Legal Writing and Research, ITT – Chicago Kent College of Law, 1973-1976
• Co-Presenter, "The Ethics of Mediation Style", Emerging Issues in Mediation Conference, University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Association of Mediators, Madison, Wisconsin, 2003
• "Divorce Mediation -- The Civilized Alternative", The Lilac Tree, Evanston, Illinois, 2003
• Annual Guest Lecture, "Power, Power Imbalances and Caucus", Combined Conflict Resolution Classes, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 1998 - Present
• Mediator Training, "Screening for Impairments to Mediation", 19th Judicial Circuit Family Mediation Program, Grayslake, Illinois, April 12, 2003
• "Power Imbalances and Anger in Mediation - No Problem", Family Law Seminar, Lake County Bar Association, 2002
• Co-Presenter, "Working with Attorneys in Mediation", Association for Conflict Resolution Seminar, Family Section Conference, Savannah, Georgia, March 2, 2002
• ADR: "Appropriate Dispute Resolution", Association of Women Attorneys, Lake County Illinois, Approved Continuing Legal Education Seminar, January 11, 2008
• Mediating in the Face of Strongly Held Beliefs, National Conference Association for Conflict Resolution, Philadelphia, 2006
• Adjunct Professor of Law, Mediation and Negotiation, ITT-Chicago Kent College of Law, 2008 -present
• Co-trainer and coach, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Continuing Studies, Basic Mediation Training, November 12-13, 2015
• Advanced Training for 19th Judicial Circuit Mediators, July 30, 2015, Waukegan, Illinois
• American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys, Advanced Mediation Training, November 7-8, 2015, Chicago, Illinois, Presenter, 2015
• Advanced Mediation Training, Perri Mayes co-presenter, Carbondale, Illinois July 29, 2016 for Dispute Resolution Institute, Inc.

Other Outstanding Achievements

• Judge, International Law School Mediation Competition, Loyola University, Chicago, March 23, 2012 and March, 2016

Awards

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Distinguished: This award is granted to attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for very high ethical standards, with an average peer review score of 3.0 to 4.4.

Industry Groups

• Mediation
• providing consultations for other mediators.
• training mediators

“Jerald Kessler is the very best family law attorney to hire for sensitive dispute resolution of highly contested family law matters, including mediation, collaberative law.”

“Very knowledgable and a man of great integrity. He excels at alternative dispute methods and is well respected.”

“One of the best in the business--without doubt--attuned to the nuances of the law and the individuals with whom he works, Jerry is great at what he does.”

“Very good ADR lawyer.”

“Jerald Kessler is an outstanding mediator. With decades of experience and wisdom, Mr. Kessler achieves outstanding results. ”