Jaquetta R. Bazier, also known as “J,” is a natural-born listener, recovering civil litigation paralegal and award-winning writer with over 20 years of experience in the areas of business, civil law, insurance, military, and government. 

As a litigation paralegal, Jaquetta sat on both sides of the “V” to guide plaintiffs and defendants through hundreds of legal cases.  Her legal experience includes, but is not limited to, insurance defense, personal injury, medical malpractice, labor and employment, land use and zoning, and commercial litigation. Now, sitting in the center of the “V,” Jaquetta brings a wealth of knowledge to her dispute resolution services. 

Conflict resolution has been following Jaquetta for several years.  She was first introduced to mediation in 2007 working in the claims department at Allstate Insurance Company in Oklahoma City, and again at her first law firm in 2009. In 2012, while attending the University of Oklahoma’s ABA-approved paralegal program, she came across mediation in a dispute resolution elective course.

Finally, in 2016, while living in New Mexico, Jaquetta became a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster children in New Mexico. During CASA training, a colleague gave her his mediation notebook from the El Paso Dispute Resolution Center so she could educate herself on mediation practices.

Each of these unrelated events converged together to forge a desire in Jaquetta to become a mediator.  It wasn’t until she went through the fire, fought, and survived breast cancer in July 2022, the toughest conflict of her entire life, did she decide to help others overcome their own disputes. 

As a result, from October to December 2022, Jaquetta completed the Texas basic mediation training and the advanced family mediation courses with Kreider Mediation.  Her natural listening skills and professional background came full circle to help individuals and businesses resolve heated disputes, motivated and equipped her to found Forge Strategies, LLC.

Jaquetta is a Notary Public, commissioned in Texas, and a member of the National Notary Association and AAERT.  She currently serves her community by providing volunteer mediation services for the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center. While living in New Mexico, she was the assistant secretary of the Dona Ana County NAACP, while also working as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster care children with Mesilla Valley CASA.