Since its establishment in 2012, the ADR wing of RMLNLU’s Legal Aid Committee has strived to extend its commitment to promoting ADR mechanisms by engaging young minds in dispute resolution processes to peacefully resolve conflict and promote mediation and peace-making.
The VI RMLNLU National Mediation Competition took place from the 17th – to the 19th of January 2020. This three-day physical event was immensely thought provocative, challenged mental dexterity, and was an immersive learning experience. We had more than 30 teams from different law schools around the country, battling it out against each other. With stellar participation and a pool of young minds, we had winners from institutes ranging from NLSIU to NALSAR. The award winners along with cash prizes received, a scholarship to the Global Academy for Advocacy in Dispute Resolution (GAADR), a unique dispute resolution advocacy program organized by Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution Team (PACT), and Access cards from SCC Online and Eastern Book Company (EBC). We were immensely ecstatic to be able to have the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2TG, Peacekeeping & Conflict Resolution Team (PACT), BRIDGE, and SCC Online as our collaborators. To make the event a great and valuable educational opportunity we had International Mediation Institute (IMI) and Youth Mediation Institute (YMI) as our Knowledge Partners. The event was a well-rounded experience with an extremely informative workshop by Mr. Andrew Miller QC to understand the nitty-gritty of ADR and develop an effective skill set. Many other luminaries like mediation expert Nisshant Laroia and negotiation expert Mr. Pascal Comvalius also contributed extensively to this endeavor.

The unique problem-solving aspects of mediation and the dynamic nature of negotiation are the need of the hour with its propensity to achieve quicker, less costly, and effective outcomes. The VI RMLNLU National Mediation Competition was an important step to exposing the students from all across the country to the same and had a huge impact on their skill set.