Alternative choice

George G Poothicote, founder-member and secretary general, India International ADR Association (IIADRA) and a grade-A certified mediator, International Mediation Institute (IMI), the Hague

A legal profession is becoming a popular career choice today. An increasing number of students are opting for unconventional careers in the legal field. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is one of them. India has a huge backlog of legal cases pending in various courts, leading to gradual lack of faith in the traditional systems of adversarial litigation. Moreover, the costs involved in filing litigation have become prohibitively expensive. In these circumstances, ADR, especially mediation, has tremendous scope, due to the possibility of a harmonious conclusion, as it is quick and effective.

ADR is now more popularly known as amicable dispute resolution, utilising tools such as mediation and arbitration, instead of the more traditional mechanism of litigation, which is adversarial in nature. Arbitration is less formal than litigation, while mediation is even less formal than arbitration. Arbitrators are usually independent persons who are impartial and parties can rely on them to render specialised decisions. One can definitely make a full-time career out of ADR as there is a huge requirement for qualified and accredited mediators. 

The Indian Institute of Arbitration and Mediation (IIAM) provides intensive 40-hour academic programmes in arbitration as well as mediation to students and professionals, with opportunities to study and practice sophisticated dispute resolution. IIAM is the only institution in India approved by IMI as a qualifying assessment programme for IMI certification for international mediators. IIAM, along with IMI, also assists young mediators to shadow mediators as a learning process. Opportunities are immense for trained and experienced mediators.

SKILL SETS
In order to make a career in ADR, one needs to be an open-minded person with excellent listening skills with sufficient training and experience in the field. One needs to constantly upgrade one's skills by attending seminars and lectures and reading journals on the subject. Networking through professional associations such as the India International ADR Association (IIADRA) is a requisite for a career in ADR.

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