His lawyer advised him that pursuing mediation, rather than a lawsuit, was the recommended course of action.

course 在这里指"过程、路径"，引申为"行动方向"或"做法"。 of 是介词，表示所属关系，连接前后两个名词。 action 指"行动、行为"。 course of action 是一个固定短语，意思是"行动方针"或"采取的做法"，指为解决特定问题而选择的一系列步骤或策略。