In November 2010, Iraq created its first commercial court in Baghdad to hear commercial cases involving at least one foreign party in order to provide assurances to foreign investors and suppliers that potential commercial disputes will be adjudicated promptly and competently. Iraq plans to create such courts in Basra, Najaf, and Mosul. This week, International Program Specialist Adam Al-Sarraf conducted a workshop for 25 Iraqi judges, led by U.S. District Court judges Hon. Marvin Garbis and U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Hon. Nancy Alquist to enhance the Iraqi judges’ ability to adjudicate complex commercial disputes, at the Judicial Development Institute (JDI) in Baghdad from January 9 to 12, 2011. The workshop was attended by some of Iraq’s most senior judges including two judges from the Iraqi Court of Cassation which is the highest civil court in Iraq. The program session topics included commercial litigation with foreign parties, intellectual property, electronic evidence and expert opinions. Furthermore, the workshop provided a venue for the Iraqi judges to address the many jurisdictional issues associated with the creation of a commercial court.