In a legal environment where most cases settle before they ever reach trial, being able to facilitate the reaching of those settlements is a valuable skill.
That’s why the CBA has called on law societies and law schools across the country to recognize the importance of mandatory training in alternative dispute resolution.
A 2016 CBA resolution says that since dispute resolution skills are a foundation of being an effective advocate, all graduating law students and bar admission students should be taught the spectrum of dispute resolution options.
The Alternative Dispute Resolution Section reiterated that call recently in a letter to the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s National Committee on Accreditation and Law School Programs.
“Alternative dispute resolution has become an essential part of lawyers’ daily practices and an important professional competency, yet training in this area varies significantly across Canada,” the Section notes. “The CBA Section seeks your support to promulgate and publicize” the need for mandatory ADR training in all law schools.