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Sports Law Arbitration Moot
7th Edition

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The 7th Edition of the international Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM) 2026 Grand Finals will take place on 23 & 24 April 2026 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland. 

The final round and award ceremony are held at the end of the International Dispute Resolution in Sport Conference for competitors and leading lawyers, academics and executives from the sports world. 

The SLAM is a world class competition, with the aim to promote greater knowledge of the values and rules of international sports arbitration, the go to dispute resolution mechanism in the sector.  

SLAM provides students from around the world the opportunity to:

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

The competition is open to all current students. 

The SLAM 2026 Grand Final is held at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland on 23-24 April 2026. 

The final round and award ceremony are held being held alongside the inaugural International Dispute Resolution Conference for competitors and leading lawyers, academics and executives from the sports world. 

Prizes

  1. All teams that entered had the opportunity to attend training from experienced arbitrators and advocates by completing a course on:
    1. Written submission
    2. Oral advocacy
  2. All students participating in the competition along with 1 coach/mentor get free tickets to attend the International Dispute Resolution in Sport Conference on 24 April 2026
  3. The 2nd placed team will receive £1,000 prize money + tickets to LawInSport's Annual Conference or Football Law Conference
  4. The winners of SLAM will receive £1,500 prize money + tickets to LawInSport's Annual Conference or Football Law Conference
      Schedule
      22 September 2025

      Competition registration opened

      4 November 2025

      Release of moot problem & moot rules

      4 November - 21 December 2025

      Period for moot problem clarification questions

      29 January 2026

      Written submission deadline (registration closes)

      23 February - 8 March 2026

      Oral qualification rounds

      10 March 2026

      Results announced for qualification rounds

      13 March - 22 March 2026

      1st oral rounds (online) top 16 teams

      • Europe
      • North America, Central & South America and Caribbean
      • Asia, Middle East & Oceania
      • Africa
      24 March 2026

      1st round results announced

      31 March 2026

      Moot problem released for quarter-finals, semi-finals & finals

      23 - 24 April 2026

      SLAM Grand Finals & Sports Law Seminar

      (in person at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland)

      Moot Problem

      To be published below once released 

      Rules

      To be published below once released 

      Other Documents

      To be published below once released. 

      Participating Universities

      The following universities have previously participated in SLAM:

      • Tehran University, Iran
      • University of Brasilia, Brazil
      • BPP University, UK
      • Bologna University, Italy
      • Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, USA
      • Kharazmi University, Iran
      • Ghent University, Belgium
      • SMU Dedman School of Law, USA
      • The law school of Tanzania, Tanzania
      • Australian National University, Australia
      • King’s College London, UK
      • University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law, Slovenia
      • The University of Lagos, Nigeria
      • O.P. Jindal Global University, India
      • University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
      • Kenyatta University, Kenya
      • University of Law, UK
      • Nigerian Law School, Nigeria
      • University of Chicago, USA
      • China University of Political Science and Law, China
      • University of Kent, UK
      • Faculty of Law University of Maribor, Slovenia
      • Edge Hill University, UK
      • University of Exeter, UK
      • UCLA School of Law, USA
      • University of Essex, UK
      • Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko- Ondo state, Nigeria
      • Waseda University, Japan
      • University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law, Croatia
      • Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
      • Farabi University affiliated with University of Tehran, Iran
      • The University of Adelaide, Australia
      • ISDE, Spain
      • School of Excellence in Law, The Tamil Nadu Dr.Ambedkar Law University, India
      • Institut D'Etudes Francophones - Université Paris XIII, France
      • Mount Kenya University, Kenya
      • Tashkent State University of Law, Uzbekistan
      Judge Registration

      If you are a CAS Arbitrator or an advocate and would be interested in supporting this competition please complete the following registration form. We wish to ensure that we have enough judges to evaluate the written submissions, and we will need to fill at least 45 oral argument arbitrator positions.  

      The registration form seeks your interest in any of the phases of SLAM and your availability. 

      Example Written Pleadings from Previous Editions

      Below are some reference documents from previous editions of SLAM to hopefully provide each participant with some assistance on drafting their written pleadings.

      Please note that the pleadings provided below as just by way of reference. There is no compulsion to use the same format as long as the participants are complying with the formatting and other requirements in the SLAM Rules.

      5th Edition

      Appellant – see here.

      Respondent – see here.

      6th Edition 

      Appellant - see here

      Respondent - see here

      FAQ

      1. How many members in each team?

      There are two members in each team. Each member will be required to submit oral arguments.

      2. What is the registration fee for the competition?

      £100 per team.

      3. Can I have a coach/mentor for the team?

      Yes provided that they comply with the SLAM Rules.  

      4. How do I take part in the training course on written pleadings and oral arguments?

      Each team will be enrolled in the training course upon registration and will receive links to the course on the email. There may also be a live training session at the discretion of the SLAM Organising Committee.

      5. What happens if a team member cannot make it to the Grand Finals?

      You may not be permitted to participate in the Grand Finals but the final decision will be made by the SLAM Organising Committee.  

      6. Who bears the cost if I qualify for the Grand Finals to take place at CAS in Lausanne, Switzerland?

      All costs are borne by the team themselves.

      7. Can a team be made up of students from different universities?

      Yes, teams made up from different universities can participate in the competition. 

      8. How many teams from each university are permitted to participate?

      Multiple teams from a university can participate in the competition. 

      9. When do registrations close for the competition? 

      You can register for the competition up until the 22 January 2025 which is also the deadline for submitting the written pleadings for the competition. 

      10. Who is eligible to be a participant in the competition? 

      Participants must be registered as a student (full or part time) in an accredited institution of higher learning at the time of registration.

      Students cannot enter if they have been licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction at the time of registration.

      11. Is any sort of financial assistance provided to teams?

      The forms of financial assistance that will be provided are waiver of the costs of the entry fee (whether in part or in full) or a reasonable contribution towards the cost of travelling (limited to flights/trains and accommodation) to the in-person semi-finals and finals of the competition for teams that qualify for these stages limited to an amount of £500 per team. 

      A team can qualify for financial assistance to enter the competition. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to see if you are eligible for financial support. 

      12. Are there any reference materials available from the previous edition? 

      Below are some reference documents from previous editions of SLAM to hopefully provide each participant with some assistance on drafting their written pleadings.

      Please note that the pleadings provided below as just by way of reference. There is no compulsion to use the same format as long as the participants are complying with the formatting and other requirements in the SLAM Rules.

      5th Edition

      Appellant – see here.

      Respondent – see here.

      6th Edition 

      Appellant - see here

      Respondent - see here

      12. I am interested in being a judge for the competition. How do I register my interest? 

      If you are a CAS Arbitrator or an advocate and would be interested in supporting this competition please complete the following registration form. We wish to ensure that we have enough judges to evaluate the written submissions, and we will need to fill at least 45 oral argument arbitrator positions.  

      The registration form seeks your interest in any of the phases of SLAM and your availability. 


      Supporters for the 6th Edition of SLAM (2025)

      We thank all our supporters for their belief in and support to the competition. All of our supporters share the values behind the competition and have the aim to promote greater knowledge of the values and rules of international sports arbitration which is the go to dispute resolution mechanism in the sector.

      If you would like to support this competition or would like more information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


      Grand Finals Venue Host

      Court of Arbitration for Sport


      Presenting Partner

      Kellerhals Carrard


      Gold Sponsors

      JAMS


      Silver Sponsors

      Schelstraete

      Secretariat


      Supporting Sponsors

      4 New Square Chambers

      Anthony Lo Surdo SC

      Blackstone Chambers

      Bird & Bird

      BMDW Advocaten

      Brantjes Advocaten

      Global Sports Advocates

      Law Offices of Howard L. Jacobs

      Lombardi Associates

      Matrix Chambers

      Mills & Reeve

      Patrice Brunet Avocats

      Statim

      SLAM in Action
      Highlights of 6th Edition of SLAM - April 2025

      See the highlights from the Sports Law Arbitration Moot from 2025 and the International Dispute Resolution Conference, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. 


      Interview with the winners of the 6th Edition of SLAM

      The winners of the 6th Edition of SLAM talk about the journey through the competition and their experience of the in-person rounds. 


      Day 1 Highlights from SLAM 2024 - April 2024

      Here are the highlights from day 1 of the 5th Edition of SLAM which included the quarter finals and the semi-finals of the competition along with a pre-finals drinks reception kindly hosted by World Aquatics for all participants, judges and other guests. 


      Day 2 Highlights from SLAM 2024 - April 2024

      Here are the higlights from day 2 of the 5th Edition of SLAM which includes the seminar and Grand Finals hosted at the offices of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.


      Organising Committee

      Organising Committee

      SLAM is organised by:

      • Sean Cottrell, CEO & Co-Founder, LawInSport
      • Manan Agrawal, Director of SLAM & Deputy Director of Content, LawInSport
      • Jeffrey Benz, Attorney, Barrister, Arbitrator, Mediator, JAMS/4 New Square Chambers/Court of Arbitration for Sport & Judging Director of SLAM
      • Blaz Tomazin Bolcar, founder of SportLaw and co-founder of SLAM

      All organisers and judges give up their time freely and do not receive any financial remuneration from their roles in the Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM).

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