Legal Research and Academic Writing

The workshop on Client Counselling and Mediation was conducted by Adv. Sidak S. Kalra, practicing advocate at the High Court of Delhi, with the objective of familiarising law students with essential advocacy skills required in criminal practice and dispute resolution.

The session addressed key criminal law provisions, with particular emphasis on prisoner rights under constitutional and statutory frameworks. Discussions covered safeguards under Articles 20, 21, and 22 of the Constitution of India, rights during arrest and detention, access to legal counsel, protection against custodial violence, and procedural safeguards under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, including remand, bail, and fair trial principles.

A core component of the workshop focused on the technical ingredients of effective client counselling, highlighting its role as a professional and ethical obligation of advocates. Topics included client interviewing techniques, fact elicitation, issue identification, risk assessment, conflict checking, confidentiality and attorney–client privilege, informed consent, expectation management, and ethical communication. The importance of empathy, clarity, and strategic advice in dealing with vulnerable clients, particularly in criminal matters, was emphasised.

The latter half of the session introduced mediation as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism for resolving disputes in a collaborative and non-adversarial manner. Participants were acquainted with the principles of mediation such as voluntariness, neutrality, confidentiality, and party autonomy, along with stages of the mediation process including opening statements, joint sessions, caucusing, negotiation, and settlement drafting. The role of mediation in reducing litigation burdens, preserving relationships, and achieving efficient outcomes was discussed in detail.

Overall, the workshop provided participants with a practical understanding of client-centric lawyering and mediation techniques, reinforcing the importance of ethical practice, rights-based advocacy, and amicable dispute resolution within the Indian legal system.