About Us

Meet the Co-founders

Maria Ceballos-Wallis, an interpreter and mediator, and Barrie J Roberts, an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) professional, ESL instructor and former attorney, met through Marjory Bancroft (Cross-Cultural Communications, "CCC") in the spring of 2020 to develop an online mediation training for interpreters.

This first-of-its kind training, called Foundations in Conflict Resolution and ADR for Interpreters, was based on survey data showing that formal training and self-study materials on these topics were virtually non-existent and that few interpreters knew how to prepare themselves to interpret in the ever-growing contexts of mediation and other ADR processes.

Based on enthusiastic feedback from trainees and CCC about their engaging and eye-opening training and comprehensive, practical materials, and their passion for the topic, Maria and Barrie have continued working together to fill this gap in training through webinars, trainings and a podcast, including presentations through De La Mora Institute of Interpretation.

Upcoming projects include their workshop for the 2022 Annual NAJIT Conference in Fort Lauderdale (Introduction to Mediation and ADR for Interpreters); their September 17, 2022 live-online training hosted by AAIT (Mediation: A New Niche for Interpreters); their forthcoming first-of-its-kind ADR self-study and reference guide for interpreters (The Interpreter's Guide to Mediation and other ADR Processes); trainings, webinars and materials to help mediators work in sync with interpreters during interpreted mediations; and articles for both interpreters and mediators on various topics concerning interpreted mediations.

Barrie J. Roberts

Barrie J. Roberts, JD (UC College of the Law, San Francisco), MA (TESOL) (California State University, Sacramento), LL.M. (Dispute Resolution) (Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute) has served as the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Administrator for two southern California superior courts and as a volunteer mediator and trainer for the San Francisco Community Boards community mediation program.

Maria Ceballos-Wallis

Maria Ceballos-Wallis is a Federally Certified Court Interpreter (FCCI), a Master License Legal Spanish-English Court Interpreter for the State of Georgia with additional Certification in the State of Florida. She is also a Georgia-registered civil and domestic mediator (GODR.org). Maria works in State, Federal, and Immigration Courts.