Edward J. Bergman

Edward J. Bergman
  • Lecturer

Overview

Edward Jonathan Bergman, devoted husband, father, grand-father, and friend, passed away on November 22, 2024 at the age of 82.

After spending his childhood in Bayonne with his brother, Robert, and parents, Abe and Ethel, Edward proudly graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. with Honors in Art History. He received his J.D. from Columbia University and, subsequently, spent two years as a graduate fellow at the Annenberg School of Communications where he worked in the Documentary Film Laboratory. Notably, he received the American Film Institute Independent Filmmaker Award.

In the mid-70s, after settling in Princeton, NJ, Edward began the private practice of law. The firm Bergman & Barrett was established and continued until his recent retirement. In the late-80s, Edward became focused on alternative approaches to dispute resolution and was named to a Blue Ribbon Panel for the Creation of a Pilot Mediation Project for the US District Court, District of NJ. From 1992 until his retirement, Edward mediated hundreds of cases in both state and federal courts.

In 1995, Edward returned to his alma mater and began teaching undergraduate courses in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the Wharton School of Business. In 2011, he was awarded the William G. Whitney Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. In 2005, he transferred his skills to the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy where he founded the Penn Program for the Management of Clinical Conflict. With the assistance of his Penn colleagues, Edward conducted Intensive Clinical Ethics Mediation Workshops three to four times per year. In addition to his law practice and teaching assignments, Edward found the time to write and co-author numerous articles published in peer-reviewed journals in the field of bioethics.
Edward’s connection to Penn extended beyond academics with his intense passion for Penn athletics, the Palestra and Quaker Men’s Basketball. A season ticket holder for decades, Edward was a faithful and visible basketball fan always seated no more than two rows behind the team bench.

His love of basketball included traveling each year (for 40 years) to a city hosting a round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Affectionately known as the ‘Boys of Spring,’ Edward, Neil, Phil and Steve, would celebrate their longtime friendship every March watching a weekend packed with college basketball.

A remembrance of Edward’s life would be incomplete without mentioning his love of Italian and French wines that he routinely shared with his family, friends and Princeton Wine Group. Carefully curated bottles from Piedmont or Southern Rhone were routinely served with dinner he lovingly and meticulously prepared.

Ed is survived by his loving wife of 20 years, Jennifer Mullen; his children Peter Bergman and Amy Bergman Bonomi; his grandchildren Liza Bonomi, Celia Bonomi, Zora Bergman, and Nathaniel Bergman; Jane Shapiro, his former wife and the mother of his children, his niece Maggie Bergman and great-niece Maisie Bo; and many dear friends and colleagues.

Funeral services are Monday, November 25 at 11:00 am at Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, 1534 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ. Burial will follow at Princeton Cemetery.

OrlandsMemorialChapel.com/Edward-Bergman

 

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Co-Author and General Editor, “Court-Annexed Mediation: Critical Perspectives on Selected State and Federal Programs,” August, 1998, (Pike & Fischer, Inc.). Co-Author, “Beyond Schiavo” approved for publication, Journal of Clinical Ethics (Winter 2007). Teaching: Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School, 1990-1992; Department of Politics, 2001, 2003?; University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Department of Legal Studies, 1995?; University of California at Berkeley/St. Petersburg University Joint Management Program (Russia), 1995-1998; Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2005?; IGE (INDIA) LTD, Workshops on Negotiation Skills, 1999-2000. Lectures and Symposia: New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, 2007; Philadelphia Bar Association, 2006; Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2002; Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, 1993; State University of New York, College at New Paltz, 1992; Federal Practice Update, Mediation and Arbitration in the U.S. District Court, NJSBA Federal Practice & Procedure Committee, 1994. Panelist: Joint Conference on Corporate Governance, St. Petersburg University, 1997 -; Harold R. Medina, Judicial Conference, Princeton University, 1990. Certifications: Mediator, United States District Court, District of New Jersey, 1992?; Mediator, New Jersey Superior Court, 1995?; Business and Commercial Mediator, New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, 1997?; Advanced Transformative Mediation Skills, U.S. Postal Service, 1998; National Employment Mediation Services Panelist, 1999-2002. Professional and Civic: Director, Mediation Services, Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania, 2006?; Public Defender Princeton Borough, 1986?; Public Defender, Princeton Township, 1989-1991, 1993?; Trustee, Princeton Ballet, 1985-1991; Trustee, Arts Council of Princeton, 1998-2003. Executive Board, Penn Basketball Club, 1996-2003. Trustee, New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, 2005?.

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Teaching

All Courses

  • BIOE5400 - Challenging Clin. Ethics

    The contemporary healthcare system in which patients, families, institutions and a multiplicity of caregivers interact over matters of life and death with legal, ethical, emotional and scientific complexities inherently gives rise to a variety of disputes. Such disputes are frequently highly charged and are often emergent in nature. In recent years, mediation has grown exponentially as a dispute resolution mechanism of choice. Not surprisingly, the success of mediation and a wider understanding of the process, has led to its application in the realm of healthcare disputes with encouraging results. This course will initially provide an overview of classical mediation theory and practice. Students will be introduced to negotiation fundamentals critical to the practice of mediation. Similarities and differences between mediation in the healthcare field, as distinct from other contexts, will be examined. All class members will participate in mediation role-plays designed to simulate disputes of the kind prevalent in healthcare landscape

  • BIOE5450 - Mediation Intensive

    Students will be placed in a variety of clinical situations in which they will play the roles of disputants and mediators, with ongoing discussions and critiques of mediator performance. Each student will be videotaped during their mediation to elicit feedback from the group and to catalyze self-criticism. As distinct from the course, BIOE 5400: Challenging Clinical Ethics, in which negotiation and mediation theory are taught as a prelude to clinical simulations, this course references the literature solely in relation to problems encountered in the hands-on mediation of specific cases. Students may take the mediation intensives in any order; they do not need to be taken from I to IV. Students may take all 4 intensive courses, as the material will not be repeated.

  • BIOE5460 - Mediation Intensive II

    Students will have an immersion experience, learning mediation through role-playing simulations. Note that the format is similar to Mediation Intensive I, butthe Mediation Intensive II will NOT duplicate simulations. Students in this course will: learn to effectively manage clinical disputes among and between caregivers, patients, and surrogates through mediation; discover how to define problems and assess underlying interests to generate mutually acceptable options; role play in a variety of clinical situations as both disputants and mediators; practice mediation with professional actors;and receive constructive feedback in a supportive environment. Students will also be required to complete a written research paper. Students may take the mediation intensives in any order; they do not need to be taken from I to IV. Students may take all 4 intensive courses, as the material will not be repeated.

  • BIOE5470 - Mediation Intensive IIi

    Students will have an immersion experience, learning mediation through role-playing simulations. Note that the format is similar to Mediation Intensive I and II, but med. intensive III will NOT duplicate simulations. Students in this course will: learn to effectively manage clinical disputes among and between caregivers, patients, and surrogates through mediation; discover how to define problems and assess underlying interests to generate mutually acceptable options; role play in a variety of clinical situations as both disputants and mediators; practice mediation with professional actors; and receive constructive feedback in a supportive environment. Students will also be required to complete a written research paper. 6tudents may take the mediation intensives in any order; they do not need to be taken from I to IV. Students may take all 4 intensive courses, as the material will not be repeated.

  • BIOE5480 - Mediation Intensive Iv

    Students will have an immersion experience, learning mediation through role-playing simulations. Note that the format is similar to earlier mediation intensives but the mediation intensive IV will NOT duplicate simulations. Students in this course will: learn to effectively manage clinical disputes among and between caregivers, patients, and surrogates through mediation; discover how to define problems and assess underlying interests to generate mutually acceptable options; role play in a variety of clinical situations as both disputants and mediators; practice mediation with professional actors; use video-tapes of simulations to improve mediation techniques and strengthen interpersonal skills; receive constructive feedback in a supportive environment. Students may take the mediation intensives in any order; they do not need to be taken from I to IV. Students may take all 4 intensive courses, as the material will not be repeated.

  • BIOE5500 - Bioethics & Society

    This set of courses will deal with bioethical issues in popular culture addressed from a social science perspective. Courses to be offered include: "Sociology of Bioethics," and "Media and the Doctor-Patient Relationship." This is a topics course - for information on the topic currently being offered, please go to the course listing on the Bioethics website: http://www.med.upenn.edu/mbe.

  • LGST2910 - Negotiations

    This course examines the art and science of negotiation, with additional emphasis on conflict resolution. Students will engage in a number of simulated negotiations ranging from simple one-issue transactions to multi-party joint ventures. Through these exercises and associated readings, students explore the basic theoretical models of bargaining and have an opportunity to test and improve their negotiation skills.

  • MGMT2910 - Negotiations

    This course examines the art and science of negotiation, with additional emphasis on conflict resolution. Students will engage in a number of simulated negotiations ranging from simple one-issue transactions to multi-party joint ventures. Through these exercises and associated readings, students explore the basic theoretical models of bargaining and have an opportunity to test and improve their negotiation skills.

  • OIDD2910 - Negotiations

    This course examines the art and science of negotiation, with additional emphasis on conflict resolution. Students will engage in a number of simulated negotiations ranging from simple one-issue transactions to multi-party joint ventures. Through these exercises and associated readings, students explore the basic theoretical models of bargaining and have an opportunity to test and improve their negotiation skills.