NLIU International Mediation Competition 2012 - Rulebook

7/31/2019 NLIU International Mediation Competition 2012 - Rulebook

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RULEBOOK

I . Theme and Date:The problems for the2nd NLIU International Mediation Competition 2012 shall be based on a variety of

legal topics which are capable of out of court settlement. The Competition shall be held from 12th 14th

October, 2012 at the National Law Institute University in Bhopal, India.

I I . Language:The competition shall be conducted in English language only.

I I I . Eligibility:The Competition is open to all law schools from all over the world. Any student pursuing a graduate or a

post-graduate degree in law can participate in the Competition. However, students pursuing a doctoral or

post-doctoral course in law arenot eligible for participation in the Competition.

I V . Participation and Team Composition:a. Each participating law school may field a maximum of two teams.b. Each participating team consists of three members, whose role in the Competition is defined later

in this Rulebook.

c. There is a Team Cap of 32 teams for this Competition.d. Efforts will be made to include the maximum number of participating law schools as possible.

To this end, the second teams (if any) of each participating law school shall only be

accommodated after a team from all law schools willing to participate is given a slot of

participation.

e. For training purposes, NLIU would nominate two teams to participate in the Competition.However, these teams shall not be eligible to be considered for any Award or Prize Money.

V . Registration :a. Stage 1:

i. Teams must intimate their willingness to participate in the Competition by filling out Form-Iwhich has been attached to this Rulebook. This form must be scanned and sent to


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[email protected] by 1st September, 2012 with the subject of the mail as

Participation in the NLIU International Mediation Competition 2012

ii. Teams will be sent a mail containing their Team Code from the organizing team on 2ndSeptember, 2012 confirming their participation in which case they shall proceed to Stage 2 of

the registration process.

iii. If the team cap for the Competition has been reached, then the organizing team will offer slotsof participation to teams based upon their Form-I submission and subject to the provisions of

Section IV(d) of this Rulebook.

b. Stage 2:i.

Teams who have been cleared for Stage 2 of the registration process will be free to make theirtravel arrangements to Bhopal as their participation is confirmed, but subject to payment of

registration fee for the Competition.

ii. Registration Fee for the Competition is fixed at Rs. 6000 (per team per law school) forIndian law schools and $200 (per team per law school) for foreign law schools. This

registration fee for National teams covers travel to and fro the Competition venues and 6 meals

for the duration of the Competition (ie. 12 th 14th October, 2012).

iii. The Registration Fee for National Teams does not cover accommodation.However, NLIUwill provide transportation facilities from select hotels situated in Bhopal.

iv. This fee must be sent by wire transfer to the NLIU account by 10th September, 2012. Theaccount details of the University are:

Name of A/c -Director, National Law Institute University

Branch -Dena Bank, T.T Nagar, Bhopal - 462044

A/c No. - 062510005192

IFSC code -BKDN0810625

SWIFT code BKDNINBBBHP

In the comments section of the wire transfer please include the comment Registration Fee for

Team Code (your team code). Please keep the wire transfer payment slip that the bank

will give you safely, as you will require that to confirm registration payment.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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v. The registration form annexed as Form-II must be duly filled, signed and sealed and a scannedcopy of the same need to sent [email protected] 10th September, 2012

with the subject of the mail as Confirmation of Payment of Registration fee for the NLIU

International Mediation Competition 2012. In this mail also attach a scanned copy of the

wire transfer payment slip given by the bank.

vi. On arrival to the NLIU campus, and during the formal completion of registration, pleasesubmit the original filled, signed and sealed copy of Form-II and the original wire transfer

payment slip given by the bank.

V I . Competition ScheduleThe scheduled events for the Competition are as follows:

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October, 2012 Friday (Day 1)

12.00 p.m. 1.00 p.m. Formal Registration

1.00 p.m. 2.00 p.m. Lunch

2.30 p.m. 4.30 p.m. 1stTraining Session organized by INADR

4.30 p.m. 5.00 p.m. Tea and Snacks

5.00 p.m. 7.00 p.m. 2ndTraining Session organized by INADR

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October, 2012 Saturday (Day

2)

11.30 a.m. 1.30 p.m. Preliminary Round 1 (Confidential Information released twenty minutesrior)

1.30 p.m. 2.30 p.m. Lunch

3.00 p.m. 5.00 p.m.Preliminary Round 2 (Confidential Information released twenty minutes

rior)

5.00 p.m. 6.00 p.m. Tea and Snacks

6.30 p.m. 8.30 p.m.Preliminary Round 3 (Confidential Information released twenty minutes

rior)

9.00 p.m. Announcement of Breaking Teams

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th

October, 2012 Sunday (Day 3)9.00 a.m. 11.00 a.m. Quarter Finals (Confidential Information released twenty minutes prior)

12.00 p.m. 2.00 p.m. Semi Finals (Confidential Information released twenty minutes prior)

2.00 p.m. 3.00 p.m. Lunch

3.30 p.m. 5.30 p.m. Grand Finals (Confidential Information released twenty minutes prior)

6.00 p.m. 7.00 p.m. Valedictory Ceremony

7.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m. High Tea
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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8.00 p.m. Closing Party and Dinner

VI I . Travel to Bhopal :a. Teams are responsible for their own travel to Bhopal, and the organizing committee shall not be

providing the same.

b. For foreign teams travelling to Bhopal, the best way to book tickets to come to Bhopal is via Delhior Mumbai. After arrival in Delhi or Mumbai there are cheap flight options available. Visit

www.yatra.comor www.cleartrip.comto see options. You can also book train travel, for which you

need to contact a travel agent in India.

c. Foreign teams requiring an invitation letter for their visa application is required to fill up optionalForm-III annexed to this Rulebook and scan and send it as soon as they require it to

[email protected]. We will try our best to respond to the same and dispatch

invitation letters immediately.

VI I I .Food and Local Travel :a. Conveyance will be provided to all the teams to and from Competition venues to the accommodation

subject toRule V (b)(iii).

b. The following meals shall be provided during the course of the Competition:i. Day 1 (12th October, 2012) Lunch, High Tea and Inaugural Dinnerii. Day 2 (13th October, 2012) Lunch and Evening Tea and Snacksiii. Day 3 (14th October, 2012) Lunch, High Tea and Valedictory Party Dinner

c. Teams must send their travel plans along with Form-II.I X . Team Cap :

a. There shall be a maximum number of 32 teams participating in the Competition.b. If required, the Form-I of each team from Stage 1 of the Registration process shall be used to shortlist

teams who will be given a slot of participation in the Competition, in case there are more than 32

teams willing to participate.

c. This Section is subject to the provisions ofSection IV(d) as given in this Rulebook.X . Format of the Competition:

a. Introduction
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Due to the growing importance of mediation throughout the world, this international competition is

designed to help law students better understand the mediation process and its importance to the

practice of law. The primary difference between this Competition and others is that it requires

students not only to participate as attorney/clients but just as importantly as mediators.

An important component of the Competition is the training provided to students on Friday morning

of the Competition weekend, in mediator skills and attorney/client advocacy.

b. Team OrientationEvery effort will be made to ensure that these rules and cases are clear. All participants will be

afforded the opportunity to ask questions at the orientation session. The Competition director will

have complete discretion in answering questions related to the cases and rules.

c. Team CompositionA team will consist of three students. In each round, one student participates as mediator and the other

two as attorney/client. In the three preliminary rounds, each student must act as mediator, attorney,

and client. If a team reaches the championship round, it can decide who will act as mediator.

Each round includes co-mediators who are from different schools. There is also an attorney/client

team representing the claimant side, and an attorney/client team representing the respondent side. The

co-mediators and the attorney/client teams are all from different schools. Co-mediators will not

mediate for their own schools in any round, including the final round.

d. FormatOn the Friday, 12

thOctober, 2012 afternoon and evening of the Competition week, there will be

training sessions on mediation and client/counsel advocacy.All participants must attend the same for

issue of clarifications on the Competition case problems and rules of the Competition. The

participants shall be trained in mediation by practicing mediation professionals from theInternational Academy of Dispute Resolution(INADR), Chicago.

There are three preliminary rounds on 13th October, 2012, Saturday morning, afternoon and

evening. After completing the preliminary rounds, the three mediator scores for each team are added

up and the top eight teams qualify for the quarter finals on 14th October, 2012, Sunday morning


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followed by the semi-finals in the afternoon and finals in the evening. Likewise, the top

attorney/client teams will participate in the finals. See Section IX(n) below.

e. ScoringMediators and attorney/client teams will be separately scored. Both will be scored in six categories,

receiving 0-10 points in each. The categories for mediators are: (1) Opening Statement of the

Mediator; (2) First Caucus; (3) Qualities Of A Good Mediator; (4) Active Listening and Creativity;

(5) Cooperation Between Mediators; and (6) Self Evaluation. The categories for attorney/client

teams are: (1) Attorneys Opening Statement; (2) First Caucus; (3) Strategy, Tactics and Creativity;

(4) Teamwork Between Attorney and Client; (5) Overall Evaluation; and (6) Self Evaluation.

f. MediatorsEach mediator must make opening remarks of no more than four minutes. The mediators can decide

who goes first and whether they will coordinate their remarks or make them independently. The

judges understand that the co-mediators remarks may be quite similar. Each co-mediator must

conduct a caucus during the mediationit can be immediately after the parties opening statements or

later, at the mediators discretion. The co-mediators can decide who will conduct the first caucus and

with which party, but each mediator must conduct the first caucus with a different party. The co-

mediator not conducting the caucus will observe and may ask clarifying questions at the end of the

caucus. Thereafter, the co-mediators can use a conference or caucus format as they wish. The

mediators should try to ensure that caucuses are not used by parties to create unfair competitive

advantagee.g., by staying in caucus for extended periods of time so that the other attorney/client

team is deprived of time in front of the judges. The mediators are responsible for ensuring that caucus

time is used effectively.

g. Attorneys and ClientsThe attorneys will each offer a brief summary of the facts and their clients goals for the mediation

after the mediators openings. The clients may be offered an opportunity to speak briefly during this

time, and may contribute as appropriate throughout the mediation. During the balance of the

mediation, whether in caucus or conference, the attorneys and clients should work together and with


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the mediators to achieve the clients goals. The attorneys and clients should act realistically and

professionally in the spirit of mediation.

h. JudgesThere are two judges for each round. The judges will score independently of each other. Judges are

provided a statement of the case as well as the confidential statements provided each party. Students

may not at any time confer with the judges until their ballots have been turned in. Thereafter the

judges may provide a short critique.

i. Cases To Be MediatedIn each round the same case will be used for all mediation sessions. The case packet will include a

common set of facts disclosed to both sides and the co-mediators and a separate confidential fact sheet

given to each side. The mediators will not receive the confidential fact sheets. Each of the three

preliminary rounds and the final round will involve different cases.

j. TimekeepingResponsibility rests with the student participants for timekeeping and adherence to the allotted time

periods. Each mediation session is limited to 85 minutes. Preparation for Self Evaluation is limited to5 minutes, and each Self Evaluation is limited to 5 minutes.

k. Self -EvaluationEach participant will have five minutes to discuss these questions at the conclusion of the mediation:

A)If you had to do the mediation over again, what would you do the same or differently? B) What

were your goals and strategies coming into the mediation and how did they play out during the

mediation? There will be a five-minute preparation period at the conclusion of the mediation, then

each participant should speak to the judges outside the hearing of the other competitors. The order of

self evaluation will be determined by the judges.

l. Permissible AssistanceFaculty and other coaches may confer with their students up until the mediation session commences.

Thereafter, they may not give any advice or instructions to, or attempt to communicate in any way


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with, any of the participants until the conclusion of the Self Evaluation. Coaches may observe the

mediations in which their teams are participating. They may not scout other teams. Violation of this

rule could result in loss of points or even disqualification.

m. Staying Within the RecordWhile teams may draw reasonable inferences from the facts provided, they are cautioned to stay

within a reasonable range of inference. They should not invent material self-serving facts. If a judge

feels a team has gone beyond a reasonable inference, she/he may score the team accordingly.

n. Advancing to the Final RoundThe top eight mediation teams and top eight advocate/client teams will advance to the finals rounds

which would consist of the quarter finals on Saturday evening, semi finals on Sunday morning and the

finals Sunday evening. Advancement to the final round will be based first on the number of judge

ballots won by each team (maximum of 6), and second (in the event of a tie) by the margin of victory

of the team, determined by comparing the co-mediator scores and/or advocate/client scores on each

ballot for any team tied with another team for a position in the final round. In the finals round, co-

mediators from the same school may not be in the same room, and no mediator may mediate for an

advocate/client team from his/her school. The final position of the teams will be determined by the

number of ballots won and the margin of victory in the final round. Any remaining ties will be broken

by comparing total scores.

o. Release of the problemThe problem will be mailed to all the teams which have registered for the competition. There will be

different problems for all the rounds, the three prelims will have different problems, the quarter finals,

semi finals and finals will also have different problems for each one of them. All of these problems

shall be mailed to the registered teams on20th September, 2012 before the start of the Competition.

p. Confidential informationThe confidential information will be given out for each of the problems twenty minutes before the start

of their rounds. Any team found sharing this information with the respective mediator of that team for

that round or any other team will be disqualified.


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q. Scoutingi. Teams shall not be allowed to observe the mediation of another team unless that team is

already out of the later rounds of the Competition. Scouting is strictly prohibited.

ii. Scouting by any team shall entail instant disqualification.X I . Awards :

a. A total prize money of Rs. 60,000 (approx.. $1100) is allocated for the different winners ofcash prizes.

b. There shall be three cash prizes Best Overall Team, Best Advocate/Client Pair and BestMediator. The winners shall receive the following prize money:

1. Best Overall Team Rs. 30,000 (approx. $540)2. Best Advocate/Client TeamRs. 20,000 (approx. $360)3. Best Mediator Rs. 10,000 (approx. $180)

c. All teams breaking to the quarter finals and beyond shall be given trophies and certificatesof merit. All participating teams shall be given participation certificates.

XI I . Anonymity :a. The participants shall not at any stage of the Competition disclose the name of their institution to the

judges and shall have to use their assigned team Code.

b. Non-compliance with this Rule will result in immediate disqualification of the team.XI I I .Clarifications :

Clarifications regarding anything may be sought from any of the following:

a. Mr. Prateek Mishra,Convenor, 2ndNLIU International Mediation Competition.Ph. +91 94256 03837

b. Ms. Shradha Roy,Co Convenor, 2ndNLIU International Mediation Competition.Ph. +91 96173 22296

c. Mr. Aditya Mohanty,Event Coordinator, 2ndNLIU International Mediation Competition.Ph. +91 94256 00333

d. Email ID for all correspondence:[email protected] I V . Interpretation:

e. The interpretations of these rules are subject only to the organizing committee of the 2nd NLIUInternational Mediation Competition.The organizing committee reserves the right to modify, amend,

delete or add to this Rulebook at any time as per their convenience.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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FORM-I:STATEMENTOF PURPOSE

FOR TEAM

Name of Law School:

Team Number(In case more than one from Law School):

Name of Member1: __________________________________________________________________________

Nameof Member2: _______________________________________________________________________________

Name of Member 3: _____________________________________________________

Please fill up this space in not more than 250 words on whatco-curricularlaw school activities your law

schooltakespartIn and how you can contribute to this Tournament (use the backside of the paperifnecessary)


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Departure Time (HH:MM a.m./p.m):

__________________________________________

Name of Member 3:

__________________________________________________________________

Email:

________________________________________________________________________________

Phone:

________________________________________________________________________________

Gender: Male/Female Arriving By: Flight/Train/Bus

Departing By: Flight/Train/Bus

Arrival Date (DD/MM/YYYY): __________________________________________

Arrival Time (HH:MM a.m./p.m.): __________________________________________

Departure Time (HH:MM a.m./p.m): __________________________________________

Name of Paying Bank:

(Wire Transfer Payment Sliptobe attached to thisdocument before sending.Original ofthis document

andWireTransferPaymentSliptobe carriedtotheTournamentvenue for final registration)

Date (DD/MM/YYYY):____________

(Signature of Dean of Law School with seal)

Please affix a

recentpassportsize

photograph (3.5 cm

x 4.5 cm)


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FOR

the in LETTERS and with a

Name of Visa Applicant 1:

Nationality:

Passport No.:

Passport Issuing Date (DD/MM/YYYY):

Passport Expiry Date (DD/MM/YYYY):

Name and Address of Indian Embassy to whom Invitation Letter will be addressed:

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________


Nationality:

Passport No.:




________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________


Nationality:

Passport No.:




________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

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NLIU International Mediation Competition 2012 - Rulebook