Significant changes have taken place since Lao People’s Democratic Republic enacted its National Constitution almost 30 years ago. Drawing on in-country interviews and research, this article traces the steps the Government has taken to formalise mediation from the village to the national levels. Formalising mediation in Laos plays off of two of the country’s strengths. First, the country has a long history of customary law practices, which are grounded in traditions similar to that of mediation. Second, the country’s government has been willing to promote mediation since the enactment of the constitution of 1991. For a country whose citizens have not historically trusted national laws or legal institutions, mediation acts as a mechanism that combines traditional practices with national aspirations. For Laos, and for similarly positioned developing countries, such an approach to strengthening its rule of laws both domestically and internationally is promising.