The competition takes place online with each match run in a dedicated webfile using the bespoke software of The MediationRoom.com Each team can include not only the negotiating members (usually 3 or 4) but an unlimited number of fellow students to follow negotiations and post suggestions in a private team area. The enrolment fee (300GBP) will include a licence for the school to run three additional online casefiles to use afterwards, as a training tool or for ad hoc matches with other law schools.

The main points to note from the unique competition format are as follows:

- Two matches,over two weeks for each match, with each team acting for the Claimant and then for the Defendant.

- The case scenario is split into two scenarios, one as presented by the Claimant and one as presented by the Defendant. They will vary in presentation to reflect different interests.

- Each team will have a client allocated. The scenario is learnt through online discussion with the ‘client’. It is up to the teams to extract the fullest information.

- After taking instructions on the case, each team then has to draft a case pleading, based on general principles, not on any specific law.

- Following pleadings,each team has 12 days to negotiate. If they fail to settle, the case goes to a 3 day mediation with an online mediator.

- Each team is expected to make use of an area for anonymous brainstorming of solutions where solutions can be brainstormed and considered objectively without attaching weight through knowledge of the interests of the party concerned.

Prize:

The winning team will receive its own version of an Online Pro Bono Clinic driven by the Software behind this service, branded to the school and hosted for five years.

Further, one member of the winning team (selected by the team) will receive flight and accommodation to attend the 2008 International Forum on Online Dispute Resolution to be held at Royal Roads University in Victoria and the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific on Vancouver Island June 18-19th 2008.

More information: International Law School Negotiation and Mediation Competition

The 5th Anniversary International Competitions for Online Dispute Resolution are open for registration! The free competitions offer law students worldwide an opportunity to practice and demonstrate their ADR and litigation skills working in a technological environment on the international plane.

The only requirements are that students have access to the internet and permission of a faculty member to participate. Student competitors are evaluated anonymously by experienced professionals from ADR and Litigation from around the world
.
The competitions will run over the following periods:
Litigation: January 20 – March 20, 2006
Arbitration: February 1 – March 31, 2006
Mediation: Round One : February 6-13,
2006; Round Two February 16-23, 2006
Negotiation: Round One: February 27-March 6; Round Two March 10-17, 2006

Problems for the negotiation and mediation competitions are graciously provided by the Harvard Program on Negotiation. Problems for the arbitration and litigation competitions are graciously provided by the International Chamber of Commerce Institute of World Business Law.
We are pleased to once again have West Workspace/Erooms Technology as our sponsor and platform provider for the competition.
To see previous competitions please visit the ICODR portal.
As part of this 5th anniversary ICODR celebration, please note the call for papers for the University of Toledo Law Review International Symposium on April 21-22, 2006 in Toledo, Ohio entitled “Enhancing Worldwide Understanding through Online Dispute Resolution.

Questions or comments? Please contact Ben Davis (bdavis8(at)UTNet.UToledo.Edu) or Alan Gaitenby (gaitenby@disputes.net)

All that the student needs is access to the internet with a browser and permission of a faculty member to participate. Schools in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States have expressed interest so far. For further information about fielding teams or acting as an evaluator, please go to http://www.odr.info/icodr2005.php or contact Alan Gaitenby at gaitenby(at)disputes.net or Benjamin Davis at ben.davis(at)utoledo.edu.

Best regards,

Benjamin Davis
Associate Professor of Law
University of Toledo College of Law
2801 W. Bancroft Street
Toledo, Ohio 43606
Tel.: 1 419 530 5117
Fax: 1 419 530 2439
E-mail:ben.davis(at)utoledo.edu

To participate, law students need only have 1) access to the internet through a browser and 2) permission of a faculty member. The competitions are free of charge. This year we will again have online negotiation, mediation, and arbitration competitions. As a new development we will also hold a prototype online litigation competition.
ICODR Registration (schools and evaluators)
ICODR 2005 Negotiation Competition Rules and Schedule
ICODR 2005 Mediation Competition Rules and Schedule
ICODR 2005 Arbitration Competition Rules and Schedule
ICODR 2005 Prototype Litigation Competition Rules and Schedule

The Process:

Over the past three years we have held online negotiation, mediation, and arbitration competitions between teams from law schools around the world. Law students have opportunities to role play as advocates for claimants and respondents as well as neutrals in each of the competitions. Hypothetical cases used have been designed by law professors or been provided by the Harvard Program on Negotiation. Distinguished professionals from around the world have participated as evaluators.

Through ICODR 2004 ten technologies have been graciously provided free of charge including Online Resolution, West Workspace/Erooms Technology, Squaretrade.com, and several in the eNegotiation group (SimpleNS, MeetingOne, WebNS, The Negotiating Room, and Negoisst, Inspire, Family_Winner, and SmartSettle).

The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration, the Arbitration and Mediation Centre of the World Intellectual Property Organization, the London Court of International Arbitration, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution of the American Arbitration Association have permitted us over the past years to make reference to them when students are appointed neutrals in the arbitration competition ? to help the realism of the experience.

To participate law students express interest through faculty members (i.e. coaches), in each competition team(s) are assigned roles and given hypotheticals to prepare, and then the students participate anonymously by accessing a platform in cyberspace for conducting conflict management.
Student roles in 2005 will be as advocate for their client in the negotiation competition, as advocate for their client or as mediator in the mediation competition, as advocate for their client or arbitrator in the arbitration competition, and as advocate for their client or judge in the prototype litigation competition.

Evaluators have access to the rooms in which the students are acting and can read what the students submit to evaluate the effectiveness of each student team. The most effective teams in each role in each competition are recognized.

Schedules and other information:

Hypotheticals are scheduled to be handed out in early January 2005.
The Online Negotiation competition will be held in two rounds in February and March 2005. Round 1 (February 20-27), Round 2(March 2-5), Results posted April 15.
The Online Mediation competition will be held in two rounds in February 2005. Round 1 (February 6-13), Round 2(February 16-20), Results posted April 15.

The Online Arbitration competition will be held in one round over two months in February and March 2005. Round: February 1 ? March 31, Results posted May 15. Advocates will participate as Claimant in one room and Respondent in another room. To the extent possible student arbitrators will serve in two rooms and – depending on numbers – in arbitral tribunals of 3 members.
The prototype Online Litigation competition will be held over two months in February through April 2005. Round: February 15 ? April 15, Results posted May 15. Advocates will participate as Plaintiff/Claimant in one room and Defendant/Respondent in another room. To the extent possible student judges will serve in two rooms.

West Workspace/Erooms Technology has accepted to be the technology for the ICODR 2005 competitions. To explore a past year of the competition on this platform, please go to

https://www.westworkspace.com/eroom/icodr2003

Username: observer2004
Password: observer2004

If prompted click on browser only
For more information please contact:

Alan Gaitenby
Assistant Director
Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Tel.: 1 413 577 1394
email: gaitenby@disputes.net

Benjamin Davis
Associate Professor of Law
University of Toledo College of Law
2801 W. Bancroft Street
Toledo, Ohio 43606
Tel.: 1 419 530 5117
Fax: 1 419 530 2439
E-mail:ben.davis(AT)utoled

A. Background and Goal

Last year’s online negotiation competition had 12 teams from 10 schools in six countries. This year interest has been expressed on behalf of about 35 schools in 15 countries in the online arbitration, online mediation and/or online negotiation competitions being held.
The goal of the competitions is to enhance worldwide law student understanding of online dispute resolution.

All that a law student needs to participate is a computer with an internet connection, an internet browser, and a faculty sponsor.

Please note that the competitions for this year will be in English. We are endeavouring to hold future competitions in other languages.

B. Brief description of the competitions.

i. Online Arbitration Competition:
Description: International Commercial Arbitration Dispute under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules.
Teams: Students compete either as advocates (teams of up to four) or as arbitrators (1 or 2 persons). Student arbitrators serve in different arbitrations from student advocates of the same school. In each arbitration, the student advocates work out the procedure with the student arbitrators and student arbitrators write an award due by mid-February. Evaluators determine the most effective advocate and arbitral tribunal teams.

Realism: To enhance the realism for the students and thanks to the kind permission of these major international arbitral institutions, the designation of the appointing authorities and the actual appointments of the student arbitrators will be done as if the students were being appointed by the Secretary General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the UNCITRAL Committee of the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris, the London Court of International Arbitration, and the International Center for Dispute Resolution of the American Arbitration Association in New York and Dublin.

Dates: Problem given out at the beginning of November, competition lasts from December 15 through end of February 2003.

ii. Online Mediation Competition
Description: Commercial Dispute Mediations
Teams: Students compete as advocates (team of up to two) and as mediators (1 or 2 persons). Student mediators serve in different mediations from the student advocates of the same school. Evaluators determine the most effective teams and mediators in a two round competition (one week for the first round and one day for the second round)

Dates: Problems given out in January, competition is last 10 days of February.

iii. Online Negotiation Competition
Description: Commercial Dispute Negotiations
Teams: Students compete as advocates (team of up to two). Evaluators determine the most effective team in a two round competition (one week for the first round and one day for the second round)

Dates: Problems given out in January, competition is last 10 days of February.

An evaluator watches what happens in one online work area where the students are acting as advocate, arbitral tribunal or mediator. The evaluator then evaluates the students on nine criteria and their evaluations and comments are sent via a website form to the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution. The evaluator can do this at their leisure with the evaluations due in the last week of February.

These evaluations are tabulated by the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution of the University of Massachusetts to determine the most effective teams at the end of ADRCyberweek 2003.

The most effective teams earn Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals.

C. Evaluators

Evaluators (as of October 18) are distinguished international lawyers, professors and business persons coming from 12 countries on four continents.

Arif Ali, Fulbright and Jaworski, USA
Thomas Allen, Ogilvy and Renault, Canada
Tony Belak, Entrepreneur/ADR Practitioner, USA
Geoffrey M. Beresford Hartwell, Professor University of Glamorgan Law School, United Kingdom
Lyne Boinat, LBMB Notaires Associes, France – mediation
Alex Blumrosen, Bernard-Hertz-Bejot, France
John Allen Chalk, Sr., Whitaker Chalk, USA – arbitration or mediation
Kelvin Chin, Entrepreneur/Technologist, USA
Alfonso Alvarez Calderon , Cybertribunal Peruano, Peru
Charles W. Crumpton, Stanton Clay Chapman Crumpton & Iwamura, Hawaii, USA
Cheri Eklund, Canada – arbitration
Wayne I. Fagan, Soules & Wallace, USA
Dennis Foster, Alcatel, France
Llew Gibbons, Professor of Law, University of Toledo, USA
Christopher Gibson, Steptoe and Johnson, United Kingdom
Sally Harpole, Sally Harpole and Co, Hong Kong, China
Karin Helmlinger, ADR Practitioner, Peru
Michael Hwang, Allen and Gledhill, Singapore
Christopher Koch, Georgana & Koch, Counselors at Law, Greece
Anne Larkin, ADR Practitioner, USA
Roderick B. Mathews, Troutman Sanders, USA

Doug Earl McClaren, Bechtel, USA
Stefan Naumann, Cabinet Denton Sales Vincent et Thomas, France
Fredrik Norburg, Mannheimer, Swartling Advokatbyra, Sweden – arbitration
Myra Orlen, Professor of Law, Western New England College of Law, USA
Lucille M. Ponte, Professor of Law, Bentley College, Law Department, USA – mediation or negotiation
Arthur W. Rovine, Baker and McKenzie, USA
Alice Sullivan, Judge (Ret.), USA

Erik Schaefer, Germany – arbitration or mediation
Ercus Stewart, S.C., Ireland
Nagib Tabet, France
Lim Lei Theng, Singapore
Magda Theodate, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, France

Alexander Yanos, Freshfields, USA

D. Law school interest

We greatly appreciate the expressions of interest from students, professors, alumni and/or interested professionals on behalf of:

Cardozo Law School, USA
Catholic Leuven University, Belgium
City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Duke University, USA
Edinburgh University, Scotland, UK
Georgetown University, USA
Hamline University School of Law, USA
Harvard Law School, USA
Loyola Law School – Chicago, USA
Ohio State University, USA
St. Mary’s University School of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law
Southern Methodist University, USA
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, USA

University of British Columbia, Canada
UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, USA
University of Cork, Ireland
University of Illinois College of Law, USA
University of Miami, USA
University of Montreal, Canada
University of Missouri-Columbia, USA
Univ. of Ottawa, Canada
University of Paris, France
University of Perth, Australia
University of Queensland, Australia
Victoria Univ. of Wellington, New Zealand
A Belgian Law School (to be determined), c/o Caroline Hanotiau
A Chilean Law School (to be determined), c/o Jose Manuel Simian Lopez
Another Chinese Law School (to be determined), c/o Jeffrey Xiaomin Meng
A Malaysian Law School (to be determined), c/o Cecil W. M. Abraham
A Moldovan Law School (to be determined), c/o Mrs. Maria Corfanenco
A Mexican Law School (to be determined), c/o Carlos Loperena
A Nigerian Law School (to be determined), c/o Paschal Madu
A Swedish Law School (to be determined), c/o Fredrik Norburg

E. American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section 2003 Mid-Year meeting panel

The competitions will be the subject of a panel entitled “International Competitions for Online Dispute Resolution: Connecting Law Students Worldwide” at the American Bar Association Mid-Year meeting on March 20-22, 2002 in San Antonio. Please watch the San Antonio conference portion of the ABA website for dates at www.abanet.org/dispute.

F. International sponsors

As part of this process, an effort is being made to include as many types of technology service providers as possible so that students may have experience with a variety of platforms. Last year, we were pleased to select Online Resolution.com as the service provider for the negotiation competition.

This year, we are pleased that Thomson West corporation, and eRoom Technology, Inc. are international sponsors and service providers of ICODR 2003. They are providing the West WorkSpace technology platform for the arbitration, mediation and part of the negotiation competition.

We are also pleased that Squaretrade.com is the other international service provider for the negotiation competition.

The hypotheticals are being created with the assistance of the Harvard Program on Negotiation.

Law school sponsors for ICODR 2003 are Hamline University School of Law and Texas Wesleyan University School of Law

G. Organizers

Benjamin Davis (Associate Professor, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, USA),
Alan Gaitenby (Professor and Assistant Director, Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution, University of Massachusetts, USA),

Ayesha Hassan (Senior Policy Manager, E-Business, IT and Telecoms, International Chamber of Commerce, France),
Ethan Katsh (Professor and Director, Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution, University of Massachusetts, USA),

David Larson (Professor and Senior Fellow Dispute Resolution Institute, Hamline University School of Law, USA), and
Franklin G. Snyder (Associate Professor, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, USA)

Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can provide additional information. Thank you for your consideration of this information note.

Benjamin Davis
Associate Professor
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
1515 Commerce Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Tel.: 1 817 212 3915
Fax: 1 817 212 3965
E-mail:bdavis(at)law.txwes.edu

Year 2002