Our Law Students in Finals of CDRC VIENNA Competition

The CDRC Vienna Competition, organized by the International Bar Association (IBA), Vienna International Arbitral Center (VIAC), and the Austrian branch of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) is one of the most recognized legal mediation and negotiation competitions for prospective lawyers. Students present their arguments and compete in English.

The mission of the Competition is to create a long term platform that connects the Consensual Dispute Resolution (CDR) experts of the future and to offer one of the best learning and exchanging experiences for young lawyers worldwide.

Participants of the CDRC Vienna competition compete in two disciplines: mediation and negotiation. Thanks to their hard work, diligence and hours of practice, students of SWPS University qualified for the finals in both categories.

The competition simulates real legal negotiations that involve a support of a mediator. Students compete against each other by negotiating a series of legal problems based on the Willem C. Vis Moot method. The competition is focused on the students’ ability to utilize negotiation and mediation skills and strategies to successfully negotiate or mediate a settlement that best serves the needs of the parties. The simulation consists of a common set of facts known by all participants and confidential information known only to the participants representing a particular side. The competitors are evaluated by and receive feedback from experienced mediation and negotiation experts.

The students who participated in the competition included: Martyna Komorowska - mediator as well as Dominika Dziel and Mateusz Kaczmarek - negotiators. All students were from the Faculty of Psychology and Law in Poznań. They were supported by two mentors from SWPS University’s School of Law, namely by Dr. Tomasz P. Antoszek, from the Faculty of Psychology and Law in Poznań and Dr. Katarzyna Antolak-Szymański, from the Faculty of Law in Warsaw.