Dharmashastra National Law University
Jabalpur
A Joint Initiative
Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority
Jabalpur
“Transforming Conflict into Consensus”
A three month, 160 hour programme in mediation and alternative dispute resolution, with special emphasis on the Mediation Act, 2023, court annexed mediation and community mediation.
Mediation works when the mediator is trained. This course exists to build that competence, systematically and at scale.
The Certificate Course on Mediation is a comprehensive curriculum on mediation, alternative dispute resolution and dispute resolution, jointly offered by Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur and the Madhya Pradesh State Legal Services Authority. It runs over three months and carries 160 hours, blending theoretical instruction with extensive practical training and live observation of mediation proceedings.
The objective is to develop mediators with strong communication, negotiation, ethical, psychological and settlement facilitation skills, so that participants move from classroom understanding to confident practice. Learning is built through role plays, simulations and observation rather than lectures alone.
The course is conducted under a Memorandum of Understanding executed between MPSLSA and DNLU in June 2026 for collaboration in mediation education, training, research and capacity building, and follows the guidelines of the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee (MCPC), Supreme Court of India.
Classroom instruction across ten modules covering law, principles, psychology, communication, negotiation and ethics.
Simulations and role plays that build hands-on skill in family, commercial, community and online mediation.
Observation of live proceedings, institutional visits and interaction with senior mediators and MCPC trainers.
Pre-litigation mediation is now a statutory expectation. The course teaches the Act as practitioners must apply it.
Participants observe live court annexed and pre-litigation mediation, not case studies alone.
A dedicated inclusive batch provision and community mediation focus extend access beyond the courtroom.
The certificate is issued jointly by the University and the State Legal Services Authority.
The course is open to graduates in any discipline from a recognised university who have a minimum of three years of experience working with communities, in legal services, social work, community development, public administration, education, civil society organisations, dispute resolution or allied fields.
| Minimum age | 25 years on the date of admission |
|---|---|
| Maximum age | Ordinarily 65 years |
| Intake per batch | Ordinarily 40 participants |
| Inclusive provision | A batch may be conducted for the hearing and speech impaired community, with at least 10 percent of seats — four seats — for eligible applicants from that community |
Where eligible applications exceed the intake, selection is made by a Selection Committee constituted jointly by MPSLSA and DNLU, with preference ordinarily accorded to the following.
The number of seats is limited to forty. Where the applications received and shortlisted exceed the seats available, the remaining shortlisted candidates are considered for the next cohort of the course.
The application fee and the course fee are both non-refundable.
A single PDF with the full curriculum, fee structure, important dates, eligibility conditions and the application procedure.
Forty seats to a batch. Shortlisted candidates beyond that number are considered for the next cohort.