Mediation Moot Competition

The International Commercial Mediation Competition is organized by the International Chamber of Commerce and focuses on the resolution of commercial disputes through negotiation and mediation. More than 500 participants, including professionals, academics and students from over 60 universities gather in Paris every year to discuss, evaluate and practice negotiation and mediation techniques during mock mediation sessions and social events.

We are looking for a new team/new teams to participate in the 22th ICC Mediation Competition taking place in Feburary 2027. The application period is set between the 8th july 2026 and the 8th october 2026.

 

  • What is the competition all about?

    The International Commercial Mediation Competition is a moot competition in mediation organized by the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. This highly anticipated event allows for carefully selected participants to interact with renowned mediators and practice and evaluate mediation techniques.

    Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). It is a mean for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement without, or parallel to, litigation. When used correctly, mediation allows for consideration and advancement of varying interests. Avoiding litigation can be useful even if your client has a strong legal case, for instance when you have to weigh in other interests such as your client’s need to avoid bad press, to keep the costs of dispute resolution low or to protect their business and personal relationships.

    During mock mediation sessions, the participants will act as either the CEO of a company or as their legal counsel and negotiate with the other team in order to possibly reach an agreement that will end a fictive commercial dispute case. The participants will be evaluated on their ability to recognize and clearly state their interests according to the general and confidential information they are given, on collaborating within the team and with their opponents, on their use of strategic tools such as caucuses and breaks, on gathering relevant information during the session, on their creative problem-solving thinking and overall on their ability to advance their business and other interests. Each mediation session lasts about 2h in total.

    The competition will be prepared as follows: Frist, the participants will get comfortable with the concept and terminology of mediation. Then, the team will get a short theoretical introduction to mediation and negotiation by studying essential literature. Furthermore, there will be exercise sessions based on previous competition cases to apply what the participants have learned. There is the possibility of obtaining feedback by a professional mediator based in Geneva. The participants also have the unique opportunity of participating in Prof. Beyeler’s seminar titled “Négociation et médiation: mise en pratique!”, which is otherwise fully booked. Finally, the participants will prepare and discuss the actual competition cases with their coach. The culminating point of the competition takes place in Paris.

     

    Combining competition, learning and networking, this unique event gives participants a golden opportunity to take part in moot mediations, to explore cultural differences in international commercial mediation and to enjoy numerous social activities.

     
  • Why participate?
    • Get a hands-on experience in ADR; learn the ins and outs of negotiation and mediation, including how to advance your client’s interests, how to communicate with business partners and how to resolve a commercial dispute by avoiding litigation.
    • Obtain 6 special credits.
    • Meet with a professional mediator in Geneva to get feedback on your technique.
    • Participate in the Prof. Beyeler’s seminar “Négociation et mediation: mise en pratique! ».
    • Meet professionals, academics and students from all over the world and expand your network.
    • Experience Paris in a new light! Travel and accommodation expenses are covered.
  • Application requirements
    • The participant must be registered as a student at the Faculty of Law or Economics at the University of Fribourg.
    • As per the competition rules, the ICC Mediation Week is open only to students who do not yet have full-time work experience (except internships) in law, business or otherwise.
    • The participant must be sufficiently familiar with English as it will be the language of the exercise sessions and the competition.
  • Documents and Schedule

    Application period: 8.7.2026 – 8.10.2026

    Please send your CV as well as a short personal statement to bigna.schall@unifr.ch.

  • Coach

    Bigna Schall, MLaw

     

     

  • Past competitions
  • Links