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Finding Inspiration, Creating Solutions Greg Bourgeois, ’86 I must confess that I had no strong desire to go to college. I agreed to attend one year at St. Edward’s University as a concession to my parents, and by the end of the second semester, I was hooked. The educators at St. Edward’s were exactly that — educators. The classes at St. Edward’s focused on teaching students how to think instead of what to think. I learned to be creative and to critically analyze issues from both an ethical and an academic viewpoint. I not only stayed my four years at St. Edward’s but also attended law school at Baylor University. Part of what kept me in college was the dynamic and progressive personality of Austin — the vitality and optimism of a capital city with an exhilarating educational community. Austin was a progressive and creative city, a culture that valued the development of ideas over the attainment of power. From the St. Edward’s hilltop, it was easy to feel like I could take part in shaping the future of this town — and the future of St. Edward’s. I had the unique privilege of being president of the student body during the first year Pat Hayes was university president. Her engaging and innovative personality perfectly bridged the traditions of the university and the trends of the town. Under her guidance, St. Edward’s invited community leaders on campus to discuss solutions to the challenges that faced both Austin and St. Edward’s as the town and economy grew. President Hayes’ example inspired me to look for ways to build a bridge between the traditions of our legal system and the needs of our contemporary social and business realities. Litigation, a remarkable tool for effecting social justice and balancing the distribution of power and responsibility, frequently frustrated me because it could be expensive, slow, unreliable and often destructive in resolving disputes. In searching for a solution, I became involved in mediation — a voluntary, alternative means of dispute resolution where involved parties help craft their own solution. Mediation is actually an ancient idea that has found a new application in our traditional legal system. The theory behind it is deceptively simple: disputing parties are put around a table and are guided away from fighting and towards working collaboratively to develop a solution that satisfies everyone. Effectively putting this into practice is precisely what makes the work so satisfying. As a mediator, I neutrally assist those involved with identifying relevant issues, generating and analyzing settlement options, and resolving communication problems or other roadblocks. Currently, I am managing partner of Galton, Cunningham & Bourgeois, PLLC — an Austin-based dispute resolution firm that founded and runs the Lakeside Mediation Center. Because mediation is still a growing trend, our biggest challenge is educating people about its benefits. My partners and I teach classes, speak frequently about mediation, and recently produced A Guide to Mediation, an award-winning educational video outlining the process. The challenges associated with mediation also bring opportunities to shape the field. As a founding board member of the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, I am helping to establish ethical guidelines, a credentialing process and a grievance procedure for the mediation profession in Texas. Even now, I draw on examples from my first reluctant year of college. I will never forget how Brother William Dunn, CSC, responded when I told him I was going to law school. He looked at me solemnly and said, “I am so sorry.” I think I know what Brother Dunn was driving at, and I hope he would be encouraged by the growing legal trend towards peaceful, constructive and efficient resolution of disputes. In typical St. Edward’s fashion, the university now offers an advanced degree program in dispute resolution — in the master of arts in human services — and it is a tangible example of the university’s commitment to the city and the profession. I only hope that I am anywhere near as effective as those remarkable educators and administrators who are the strength and soul of St. Edward’s. Greg Bourgeois, ’86, is managing partner of Galton, Cunningham & Bourgeois, PLLC, and co-founder of Lakeside Mediation Center (www.gcbmediators.com). As a St. Edward’s undergraduate, Bourgeois studied criminal justice and sociology and participated in the Honors Program. He is immediate past president of the Central Texas Chapter of the Association of Attorney Mediators.