Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks: Can Lawyers Be Effective At Mediation? by Florence Karimi Shako

ABSTRACT
This study focuses on the question of whether mediation training can equip lawyers with
the necessary guidance and skills for effective dispute resolution. It has been suggested that the
traditional law school curriculum inappropriately privileges an adversarial approach to disputes
and pays undue attention to the case-based method at the expense of more holistic or
contextualized understanding of grievances.1 This study argues that with the proper training,
lawyers can be effective at mediation.