About Zeeshan Ali

Zeeshan Ali is an established attorney and mediator with training as a Rule of Law Advisor and ADR Practitioner. In addition to his mediation practice, Mr. Ali currently advises the Pakistani Ministry of Law and Justice, the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), the Provincial High Courts and the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on the National Judicial Reform Agenda.

In his endeavors to work with governmental and judicial leadership, Mr. Ali has contributed to the introduction of ADR initiative, working specifically on a court-annexed mediation program in Pakistan. To this end, he has conducted several Training of Trainers for judicial officers assigned as mediators and referral judges in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh.

Mr. Ali is a member of the ADR Committee at the Honorable Lahore High Court (LHC) where his portfolio includes advisory on the integration of ADR within the legal as well as the judicial fraternity of Pakistan. In this capacity, he has worked with the former Chief Justice of the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan, Tassadaq Hussain Jillani, to develop a course curriculum for law school. He introduced the curriculum as a full semester course at three eminent, national law schools. Currently, he is advising the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on legislative reforms and is also working with the Federal Ministry of Law and Justice and LJCP to pilot a court-annexed mediation model in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

As a Weinstein International Fellow, Mr. Ali had the opportunity to work with the Federal Judicial Center in Washington DC, where he undertook research work on the modern methods of ADR, particularly the court-annexed mediation model. He visited several law firms and court-connected mediation centers providing ADR services to expedite the dispensation of justice. Mr. Ali is also currently working with The Office of the Ombudsman for the United Nations to get hands-on experience in ongoing mediation and to acquire advanced level training skills.

Litigation Practice

• National Legal Expert – Consultant Contractor for Pakistan Economic Corridors’ Road Safety Component NTU – ADB/DFID, 2016
• Rule of Law Network Coordinator for INSAF Network Pakistan (INP) funded by DAI, EDACE, 2015
• Legal Advisor for Child Protection and Advocacy for World Vision International in Pakistan, 2015
• Human Rights Capacity Assessment Consultant with AMAL-Human Development Network, Islamabad, funded by UNAIDS, 2014
• Minorities and Outreach Expert, DAI, EDACE, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2014
• Report Writing Consultant, GIZ-Gender Responsive Policing & Rule of Law Project, Pakistan, 2013
• Campaign, Advocacy, and Legal Research Consultant (One Billion Rising for Justice), 2013
• Legal Researcher/Advisor, CNN-International Islamabad Bureau, 2008-2010
• Legal Consultant, Ministry of Human Rights Pakistan, funded by UNDP, 2009-2010
• Honorary Legal Consultant/Advisor, Ministry of Women Development, Pakistan, funded by the Government of Pakistan, 2006-2010
• Program Officer, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Pakistan, 2010-2012

Mediation Practice

• Project manager and legal aid for Refugees Human Rights and Alternative Dispute Resolution Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid, funded by UNHCR, 2014-2015
• Advocate for civil and district courts, 2006-2009
• Advocate for the High Court; Areas of practice include Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and legislative advising on the domestication of international instruments related to human rights, gender, HIV and AIDS, child protection, refugee, constitutional law, rule of law advisories, and legal research, currently