Intra-School Competitions (Open to all qualifying WCL Students)
1L Student Competition
The 1L Competition will be held in January, and consists of a negotiation simulation, in which 1L participants (in teams of two) can receive valuable feedback from current SDR members on how to improve negotiation tactics. Each pair will receive the problem approximately before the negotiation rounds and will be evaluated on individual performance. We recommend that interested students use this competition as a way to prepare for the Spring Qualifying Tournament.
Spring Qualifying Tournament
The Spring Qualifying Tournament (SQT) is the only way to earn a spot on one of SDR's Competition Teams and is open to all current WCL students. The SQT follows the same format as the 1L competition but since the number of competitors is higher, tends to be held on a Saturday and Sunday.
Inter-School Competitions
International Competitions
ICC Commercial Mediation
At ICC, qualifying SDR members tackle intricate international business problems using ICC commercial mediation rules. Held in February in Paris each year, this prestigious international competition includes training sessions and is a major educational opportunity for teams sent from across the globe.
Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot
Held in March every year in Frankfurt, Germany, the Investment Arbitration Moot is a moot court-style competition in which students respond to questions from a panel of experts about a complex foreign investment dispute. Competitors are provided with a case study in advance and must research substantive foreign investment protection law.
Domestic Competitions
ABA Arbitration
The American Bar Association's arbitration competition is in fall each year. Teams are given a complicated problem involving an issue of domestic law (past topics have included medical malpractice and political campaign disputes) and have two months to prepare a compelling trial-like presentation encompassing witness examinations, demonstrative aids, and opening and closing statements.
ABA Mediation
Held in February and March each year, the ABA's national representation in mediation competition gives competitors a chance to show their abilities to reconcile disparate client interests in a mutually satisfactory way. Team members play lawyer and witness roles.
ABA Client Counseling
Held in March, client counseling simulates a law office consultation in which law students, acting as attorneys, are presented with a client matter. They conduct an interview with a person playing the role of the client and then explain how they would proceed further in the hypothetical situation.
ABA Negotiation
Held in the fall, the negotiation competition allows students to display their ability to leverage their clients' strengths to maximize their interests. The simulations include a common body of facts and confidential facts known only to opposing counsel.
The National Baseball Arbitration Competition
Every spring, Tulane Law School hosts the National Baseball Arbitration Competition, is a simulated salary arbitration competition modeled closely on the procedures used by Major League Baseball. The competition requires students to advocate for a client in the context of MLB's salary arbitration proceedings. Well-known MLB advocates have judged the competition in years past.
