Next Edition of Mediation Conversations to focus on Mediation Advocacy

Following the first session in its two-part Mediation Conversations series, The Mediation Society will host the concluding conversation, "Mediation Advocacy: Rethinking the Lawyer's Role in Mediation," on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, at 7 pm. The programme will be held online via Zoom and is open to all without charge.

The two-part series was conceived to explore the lawyer's role in mediation from two complementary perspectives. While the first conversation examined why every lawyer should understand mediation even if they do not intend to become mediators, the concluding session shifts attention to the lawyer's role within the mediation process itself.

As mediation assumes an increasingly significant role in India's dispute resolution landscape, lawyers are being called upon not only to advise clients on mediation but also to represent them effectively throughout the process. The forthcoming conversation will examine mediation advocacy as an emerging area of professional competence and discuss how it can strengthen, rather than replace, conventional legal practice.

The session will explore the lawyer's role in preparing clients for mediation, strategically assessing disputes, negotiating in a collaborative environment, working constructively with mediators, and assisting clients in achieving realistic and durable settlement outcomes. It will also consider how many of the skills required for effective mediation advocacy build upon familiar lawyering abilities while requiring additional competencies tailored to the distinctive nature of mediation.

Adv. Rajesh C. Muttath will lead the conversation. The panel of discussants will comprise Adv. Simi Varghese Tharakan, Adv. Ruben George Rock, Adv. Anirudh Kumar and Fathima Nourin. Adv. Ameena Rafeeq will chair the session.

Like the earlier programme, the event has been designed as a conversation rather than a conventional lecture, encouraging discussion on the evolving relationship between lawyers and mediation. The organisers expect the session to be of interest to practising lawyers, especially the young members of the Bar, law students, mediators and others interested in the continuing development of mediation practice in India.

Further details, including the link, may be obtained from Adv. Mehula Liza Pallathu at 81388 67999 or 89219 22121.