RGNUL Wins 1st RGNUL Sports & Entertainment Law National Mediation Competition

The Alternative Dispute Resolution Cell (ADRC) of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, in association with the Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution Team (PACT), Delhi, organized the first edition of RGNUL Sports & Entertainment Law National Mediation Competition from 12 to 14 April. The event was supported by the Punjab State Legal Services Authority and Punjab & Haryana High Court Mediation Centre, Chandigarh; Krida Legal; Legacy Law Offices, New Delhi; Markanda Advocates; Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University, USA.

The mediation sessions were based on real-life situations in the industries of sports and entertainment. The problem situations for the competition were drafted by Krida Legal. A total of 26 teams from premier legal institutions across the country participated in the event.

Prof. (Dr.) Naresh Kumar Vats, Registrar RGNUL, Dr. Anand Pawar, Professor of Law, Mr. Nisshant Laroia (Partner, PACT) and participating teams graced the inaugural session of the event. The competition commenced with a training session for the participants. PACT conducted the training session on the emerging areas of the mediation process and the consensual dispute resolution mechanisms. The participants learnt the dynamic skills of effective listening, articulation and restatement during the session.

West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata; UPES School of Law, Dehradun; National Law University, Odisha; Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur; O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonepat; HNLU, Raipur, Army Institute of Law, Mohali, and RGNUL, Punjab, competed in the quarter and semi-finals.

The negotiation team from RGNUL (Mr. Adwiteya Grover and Mr. Divyanshu Sinha) was adjudged as the winning team. The O.P. Jindal Global University team comprising of Ms. Hanima Grewal and Ms. Ishita Satyajit won the Runners-up Negotiation Team Trophy.

In addition to trophies and cash prizes, the winners of the event gained entry to International Mediation Competition, to be hosted by Singapore International Mediation Institute in August 2019.

Mr. Sahil Bhatia from UPES School of Law, Dehradun, was adjudged as the Winning Mediator. He was awarded the Winning Mediator Trophy, cash prize as well as a 6-week internship with Pepperdine School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Malibu, California.

Ms. Anshul Singh from Army Institute of Law, Mohali, was adjudged as the Runners-up Mediator. The Winning Mediator and the Winning Negotiation team have been awarded a fully-paid internship in the Delhi office of Legacy Law Offices for January 2020.

Among other prizes awarded were The Best Mediation Plan – Army Institute of Law, Mohali (Ms. Aafreen Choudhary, Mr. Omvir Singh and Ms. Anshul Singh); The Best Negotiation Team (for preliminary rounds) – Ms. Hanima Grewal and Ms. Ishita Satyajit (O.P. Jindal Global University); and The Best Mediator – Ms. Anshul Singh (Army Institute of Law, Mohali).