[Advertisement] Inside The Arbitration Advocacy Course: A Focused Skills Training Initiative For Women Lawyers

The structure of the course is compact. It begins with an online session on public speaking and speech coaching on 6 December 2025 by Punch Presentations Ltd, followed by three in-person sessions on 12, 13, and 14 December. Participants will attend an evening session on 12 December (4:30 pm – 7:00 pm), followed by full-day training on 13 and 14 December. The cohort is intentionally limited to thirty participants, divided into intermediate and advanced groups based on experience. Eligibility is defined clearly: 6–10 years of practice for the intermediate group and 10+ years for the advanced group. Registration closes on 30 November 2025, although the course is already at capacity. To join the waitlist, write to namrata.shah@rashmikantpartners.com

The goal is to create a learning environment where each participant receives individual attention and precise feedback - conditions that are difficult to replicate in larger settings. Advocacy, particularly in arbitration, is not easily taught through lectures or theoretical modules. It requires practice. The course mirrors the practical architecture of arbitral work: developing case theory, examining witnesses, conducting cross-examinations, and structuring opening and closing submissions. Participants work through exercises that simulate real hearings, allowing them to test technique, refine judgment, and understand how small adjustments can influence outcomes.

The faculty is one of the distinguishing features of this programme. Trainers from Malaysia, South Africa, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom lead the sessions, bringing diverse perspectives shaped by their jurisdictions and professional experience. The programme also includes two members of the judiciary: Justice Mary Lim Thiam Suan (Former Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia; Director, Asian International Arbitration Centre – AIAC) and Justice Sharise Weiner (Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeal, South Africa). Their presence adds depth, grounding the training in the expectations of real-world adjudication.

Performance coaching is integrated into the training and the performance coaches will review individual videos sent to them by the participants, to give feedback on body language and public speaking. The sessions focus on voice, pace, clarity, and presence - skills essential in arbitration hearings, where the format is less formal but equally demanding. By embedding performance work into the main curriculum, the programme acknowledges that advocacy is not only about legal analysis but also about effective communication.

The administrative structure reinforces the seriousness of the course. The fee is intentionally modest at ₹10,000, but is intended to ensure commitment, and full attendance across all sessions is mandatory. These requirements reflect the nature of the programme: it is a workshop built on participation, not a seminar where passive listening is sufficient.

The course also aligns, in a broader sense, with global efforts to improve representation of women in arbitration. Initiatives such as the ERA Pledge have highlighted the need for deliberate steps to expand diversity within tribunals and the wider profession.

Practical advocacy training remains limited in many jurisdictions, and opportunities for structured, supervised work - especially in arbitration - are often sporadic. Courses such as this help bridge that gap by creating a protected environment where participants can practise, receive clear feedback, and strengthen essential skills.

All sessions will be held at the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA), Oricon House, 6th Floor, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai.

The Daily Lawyer and Indian Arbitration Forum have extended their support to the course, and Mr. Navroz Seervai, Mr. Mustafa Doctor, Mr. Cyrus Ardeshir, Senior Counsels of the Bombay High Court, have contributed significantly to make this opportunity accessible.

The course has been made possible through the efforts of Sherina Petit, Gulnar Mistry, Priyanka Shetty, Karishma Vora, Hima Lawrence, Trisha Mitra-Veber (Pledge India Steering Committee), Ishaan Patkar (Co-Chair, MACCIA), Hiral Thakkar (Counsel), Jenna Krishnan (The Daily Lawyer), Anna Annandale SC and Neil Mackenzie KC (Chair & Vice Chair, IATC), Brendan Navin Siva (Former Chair, IATC), Shanmuga Kanesalingam (Kanesalingam & Co), and Namrata Mayur Shah (Rashmikant and Partners).