Two students from Mitchell Hamline School of Law are going up against teams from all over the world in an international commercial mediation competition in Paris.
It’s part of the International Chamber of Commerce’s annual International Commercial Mediation Week.
Students Rachel Gillespie and Jessica DuBois, along with coach Lynn LeMoine ’11, an assistant admissions director at Mitchell Hamline, will spend Feb. 4-10 at the gathering in Paris.
The competition features 66 teams from more than 40 countries. The teams will compete in mock trial cases, with problems featuring cross-border disputes designed by international mediation professionals and academics.
The grand prize for the competition is an internship at International Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Paris.
The two Mitchell Hamline students began preparing for the competition last fall by participating in several mock negotiation sessions.
Gillespie says Mitchell Hamline’s focus on dispute resolution and problem-solving skills has prepared the team well.
“So much international conflict utilizes alternative dispute resolution,” Gillespie said. “Mitchell Hamline’s focus on mediation is a focus on the reality of how so much international conflict is resolved.”
Gillespie expects to do well in the competition.
“We hope to make Mitchell Hamline very proud,” she said.