Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution: Professionals seek to upskill in litigation alternatives
03:55, 14 September 2014 by Margaret O’Brien
James Kinch, Dublin City Council, Simon Murphy, chairman, education committee, John P Shaw, president, Law Society of Ireland, Freda Grealy, head of Diploma Centre, and Hugh J Ward, Hugh J Ward & Co, at the Law Society Diploma Centre Conferral Ceremony.
The Law Society of Ireland dispute resolution courses provide the skills needed to meet the demand for alternatives to litigation.
“The legal profession and its clients are increasingly turning to alternatives to litigation as a way of resolving disputes,” said the president of the Law Society of Ireland, John P Shaw. “Recognising the increased demand for the specific skills that are required, the Law Society of Ireland’s Diploma Centre has created three courses in mediation, arbitration and advanced negotiation.”
All three courses begin in October and are based in the Law Society’s headquarters in Dublin, with all lectures also available online. The diploma in mediation law is accredited by the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland and will provide participants with a detailed knowledge of the definition and scope of mediation in Ireland.
The diploma in arbitration will provide practitioners with a comprehensive knowledge of the arbitration process in Ireland, together with the necessary skills to act as an arbitrator and is accredited with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Finally, the certificate in advanced negotiation, in collaboration with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, is designed to provide participants with a practical ability to build and hone the skills which are most effective in real-life negotiations.
“September is a month when many professionals give careful consideration to further education and the need to upskill,” according to Shaw.
“We are well-placed to provide such courses with our facilities at Blackhall Place designed to train and educate both trainee solicitors and qualified professionals engaged in further education.”
All lectures are webcast online and are available to be viewed live or in archive form, which has proven very popular for those based outside Dublin or who are juggling study with professional and personal commitments.
Shaw concluded: “The final key elements in delivery of such courses are the calibre of our lecturers and the partnerships we enjoy with other professional bodies, without whom these courses simply would not exist.”
For more on the Law Society of Ireland’s Diploma Centre visit: lawsociety.ie/diplomas