ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION

APRIL 21 - MAY 2, 2008 AND OctoBER 20-31, 2008

tuition fee: $3950

 
course advisors contact email on-line application print application guide to dc

Intended Audience: Judges, lawyers, non-lawyer professionals, executive branch government officials, judicial officers, officials of judicial and legal training units, and court administrators.

Course Objectives: This course familiarizes participants with alternative methods of dispute resolution (ADR). The firs part of the course examines the legal issues involved in international commercial arbitration; the second part introduces to the goals and techniques of mediation. The emphasis throughout is on the development of practical skills.

Course Outline

Pros and Cons of International Arbitration

  • Conciliation, arbitration and mediation versus litigation in the country of one party or in a third country
  • Arbitration between private parties and governments or government agencies

Legal Issues in International Arbitration

  • National Arbitration Laws
  • Treaties, including the New York Convention and ICSID Convention
  • Choice of governing law
  • Validity and scope arbitration agreements
  • Role of the courts: judicial review and enforcement of awards; judicial assistance in the arbitration process
  • Investment disputes
  • Sovereign immunity

The Arbitral Process

  • Designing the process: drafting the arbitration clause
  • Choice of rules of arbitration
  • Conduct of proceedings: initiating arbitration, constituting the tribunal, establishing terms of reference, discovery of documentary evidence, interim relief, submitting testimony, hearings, and awards
  • Arbitrator ethics and challenges to arbitrators (participants will play role of counsel or arbitrator in a mock international arbitration)

How Mediation Works

  • Mediation defined
  • Why parties should mediate
  • The many roles and attributes of a mediator

Mediation Tools and Principles

  • Changing patterns of communication
  • Intervention principles
  • Listening and questioning skills
  • Stages in mediation
  • Problem identification
  • Agreement writing

The Role of Advocate and Litigant

  • How to prepare for the mediation
  • How to devise a settlement strategy
  • How to advocate for yourself and your client
  • How to manage your client during mediation