The USAID Rule of Law Program continues to conduct Mediation Talks to expand the usage of court-annexed mediation and raise the awareness of mediation among lawyers.

On September 14, the Program and its partners, the Mediators Association of Georgia (MAG) and the Georgian Bar Association (GBA), hosted 14 Tbilisi-based GBA member lawyers for the third “Mediation Talk” meeting.

Mediation Talks are peer-to-peer meetings between lawyers who are experienced in representing clients in mediation and lawyers who have not yet had that experience. Lasha Kalandadze, an experienced mediator and lawyer, was invited as a guest speaker.

During the Mediation Talk, Mr. Kalandadze shared with the participant lawyers the main principles of mediation and some practical aspects to be considered for lawyers when advising clients about mediation. The participant lawyers asked questions, including: How to advise mediation to clients? What factors to consider when representing clients in mediation?  How to become a mediator? and What fees are charged in mediation?

The Chair of MAG, Irakli Kandashvili, emphasized that lawyers should advise their clients about mediation in advance so the client is not later surprised when the judge refers a case to mediation. USAID Rule of Law Program ADR Advisor Irakli Gelovani, who is also a practicing mediator, shared with the participants his views on helpful ways for lawyers to be involved in mediations and useful points for lawyers when advising mediation to clients.

Mediation Talks with lawyers are critical, as lawyers’ awareness and understanding of the benefits of mediation is still low. In addition, lawyers often do not realize that they have an ethical duty to inform clients about Alternative Dispute Resolution. These meetings serve as a refresher for lawyers about their role in helping clients find the most suitable process for resolving their disputes, as well as an opportunity to inform lawyers how mediation operates and how can they best represent their clients in it.