Grand Finals of our Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM 2024)

We are thrilled to announce that the Grand Finals of our Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM 2024) competition will be taking place on 12-13 April 2024, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) offices in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The SLAM 2024 organising committee extends their appreciation to every team that participated in this year’s competition. All teams, no matter the result, showed great skills and dedication, adding to the lively atmosphere of the competition.

The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals promise thrilling matchups as the final 8 teams contend for the title of SLAM 2024 champions at the CAS in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 12-13 April 2024.

The teams in the finals rounds are:

University of Ghent (Belgium)
2 teams from University of Chicago (USA)
O.P Jindal Global University (India)
UCLA School of Law (USA) & University of Essex (UK)
University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Australian National University (Australia)
University of Law (UK)

This year's competition saw:

50 teams enter from 15+ countries
Teams participate in written submission and oral advocacy training course
76 Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Arbitrators & 55 advocates involved in judging the competition (find out more information here).

Grand Finals Judges

Michael Beloff KC, Barrister, Blackstone Chambers
Raphaëlle Favre Schnyder, Attorney at law, Partner - Barandun & Alternate Judge at Appellate Court of Valais/Wallis
Mark Hovell, Partner, Mills & Reeve
Martina Spreitzer-Kropiunik, Vice President, Criminal Court Vienna
Frans de Weger, Chairman, FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber & Partner/Founder, BMDW Advocaten
Stephen Townley, JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator
André Brantjes, Founder & Managing Partner, BrantjesAdvocaten
Despina Mavromati, Of Counsel, BianchiSchwald
Marianne Saroli, Senior Legal Counsel, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
Prof Luigi Fumagalli, Professor, Università degli Studi
Bernhard Welten, Founder, KanzleiWelten
Kwadjo Adjepong, CAS Arbitrator
Jeffrey Benz, Mediator Arbitrator Referee Special Master, JAMS & Door Tenant, 4 New Square

Agenda

This event will bring together individuals interested in both sports and law. Attendees will consist of sports law arbitrators, advocates, in-house counsel, sports business executives, academics, students, and current and former professional athletes.

Schedule

Day 1: Friday, 12 April 2024

19:00 - 21:00 - Pre-Grand Finals Drinks Reception at World Aquatics

Day 2: Saturday, 13 April 2024

10:00 – 10:30 - Welcome Reception

10:30 – 10:40 - Welcome address by Matthieu Reeb, Director General, CAS

10:40 – 11:30 - Political neutrality in sport and athletes' freedom of expression

11:35 – 12:30 - Winning damages cases in sports arbitration

12:30 - 13:45 - Lunch

13:45 - 14:30 - From Lawyer to Sports Executive

14:30 - 15:00 - Coffee Break

15:00 - 16:15 - Grand Finals

16:15 - 17:15 - Coffee Break

17:15 - 18:30 - Awards & Keynote Speech by Michael Beloff KC - Winning in advocacy

The Moot Problem

Each team will be advocating for one party on a recent topical safeguarding issue in equestrian sport.

Date and Location

Date: 12-13 April 2024

Location: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Palais de Beaulieu, Av. Bergières 10, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland

About The Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM)

Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM) is a not-for-profit world class mooting competition designed to promote greater knowledge of the values and rules of international sports arbitration, a key dispute resolution mechanism in the sector.

SLAM gives students, no matter of their location or financial circumstances, from around the world the opportunity to:

Develop and showcase their legal and advocacy skills before the world’s leading arbitrators and judges virtually and in-person;
Gain real world experience of international arbitration under the procedural rules;
Receive training on writing submissions and advocacy from some of the world’s leading advocates and arbitrators in world sport.