On 12 December, under the ambitious CRCICA/ABA Distinguished Lawyers CLE Program, an interesting course was held on Effective Advocacy skills for Arbitration Practitioners. The Course unfolded a uniquely balanced combination of lectures and practice conducted by two expert tutors, Ms. Amani Khalifa, an arbitration practitioner and CEDR accredited mediator, and Ms. Antonia Birt, a senior associate in the international arbitration group of Freshfields. The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Mohamed S. Abdel Wahab, Chair of Private International Law and Professor of Dispute Resolution at Cairo University; Founding Partner and Head of International Arbitration, Zulficar & Partners Law Firm; Vice-President, ICC International Court of Arbitration. Discussions focused on expert aspects of advocacy skills for arbitration, persuasive opening and closing submissions, effective cross-examination of fact witnesses and strategies for examination. In the practical sessions, participants were divided into groups and partook in mock opening followed by a mock witness cross-examination. Participants were majorly junior associates and fresh graduates and some paralegals were also in attendance. Interestingly, beside a majority of Egyptians, there were French and Libyan participants.
