Contract Negotiations and High Heels in Lilongwe

Almost two years ago I taught law students in Vietnam on legal ethics, access to justice and pro bono as part of a New Perimeter project in South East Asia. In late August 2015, I embarked on another New Perimeter project travelling this time to Lilongwe, Malawi to deliver a two-day workshop on contract negotiations. These were both fantastic, but very different, experiences. In Vietnam we were teaching future lawyers about  their professional responsibilities. In Malawi, our class was made up of government and private practice lawyers, all of whom had years of practical experience.

Our class in Malawi included many lawyers who negotiate contracts on behalf of the government. They are responsible for ensuring the best deal for their country and this responsibility weighs heavily on their shoulders. This is a country in which the tobacco industry - traditionally the backbone of the economy -  is vanishing and the mining business is the rising star.

It was so rewarding to see how engaged and interested our Malawian colleagues were in all the different courses we offered. The most enlightening exercises were probably the break-out sessions in which our colleagues could apply their newly acquired negotiation skills. They did this with a fantastic spirit and a great sense of humour. With this kind of brilliant talent Claire Donse, Paul Jayson and I agreed that Malawi is very well placed to manage the challenges they will face in transitions from a tobacco-focused agricultural state to a mining state. 

It was marvellous to meet so many friendly and gracious people. I was impressed by their talent and their hospitality. I was also impressed by the colourful high-heels the female lawyers wore - given the condition of some of the streets in Lilongwe navigating them in heels must be a challenge, but I'm sure they tackle this with the same sort of ease and grace as they tackled the challenges we gave them in class.