Mediation as an alternative to litigation: the NSJU adopts the American model

Mediation is increasingly becoming an effective alternative to protracted legal disputes. To introduce global best practices in Ukraine, the National School of Judges of Ukraine is strengthening its cooperation with international partners and studying their experience in training judges in the field of alternative dispute resolution, whilst integrating modern approaches into its educational programmes.

To this end, on 9 July 2026, the Vice-Rector of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, Nataliia Shuklina, together with a team of experts, held an online meeting with representatives of the US Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP).

The American delegation was represented by Deputy Chief Legal Adviser Zmarak Khan, Legal Adviser Zahid Omarzai, International Programmes Specialist (Eurasia) Anastasia Futrell and International Programmes Specialist (Europe) Levi Latoz.

The meeting focused on the training programmes offered by the National School of Judges of Ukraine on alternative dispute resolution, mediation and arbitration for judges and candidates for judicial office. Participants discussed the relevance of the current courses, the scope for updating them in line with modern international practices, and the prospects for developing new educational programmes.

Representatives of the NSJU informed their American partners about their experience in implementing training programmes in the field of mediation and alternative dispute resolution. In particular, it was emphasised that these topics are integrated into programmes for the training, professional development and further training of judges, and are also included in the initial training programmes for newly appointed judges in the form of separate training sessions and specialised courses.

The CLDP team briefed their Ukrainian colleagues on the opportunities for expert and technical support in developing new educational products aimed at implementing international standards and best practices in the field of alternative dispute resolution.

The parties paid particular attention to the training of a pool of national trainers on alternative dispute resolution, which will facilitate the effective integration of mediation into Ukraine’s day-to-day judicial practice.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to exchange training and methodological materials for further analysis, to identify priority areas for cooperation, and to develop joint educational initiatives.

The Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP) is a division of the US Department of Commerce. Since 1992, it has been providing expert commercial legal assistance to the governments of over 85 countries worldwide with the aim of strengthening the rule of law and developing transparent judicial administration. In Ukraine, the CLDP systematically supports the organisation of training courses for judges, members of the International Commercial Arbitration Court (ICAC) and arbitrators.