Professor Sukhsimranjit Singh Leads Global Justice Mediation Training in Ghana

Professor Sukhsimranjit Singh, who serves as the Judge Danny Weinstein Managing Director of the Straus Institute, led a transformative ADR training in Kumasi, Ghana, which was supported by Pepperdine Caruso Law's Sudreau Global Justice Institute, as well as the US Department of Justice's Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development. Professor Singh was joined by Straus adjunct professor Selina Shultz, and together they trained a group of Legal Aid Staff in Mediation and Conflict Communication.

"We are training and making some great connections, but above all, we are so pleased to meet some of the best people in the world: Ghanians," said Professor Singh. The week-long training had the specific goal of improving legal services in civil matters, as well serving as a key piece in the Global Justice Program's larger vision of creating a sustainable public defense system in Ghana.

Professors Singh and Shultz trained legal aid staff on mediation and conflict resolution, thereby freeing up lawyers to provide direct legal services to those accused of a crime, but lacking legal representation. The training provided participants with broad knowledge of the mediation process, as well as key strategies in negotiation, simulation exercises, and a deep dive in cross-cultural communication. Alan Collier, Director for West Africa, provided pioneering counsel and leadership on this endeavor, and the project would not have been possible without Legal Aid Ghana's Executive Director, Martin Amoyah.