2022 International Mediation Writing Competition Award Ceremony

To all the Student Participants: “You are not just celebrating the winners of this competition; you are all pioneers in this art form that will become very important in the future.”
– Judge Danny Weinstein (Ret.), WIF Founder

The Weinstein International Foundation congratulates this year’s Student Winners from the second iteration of the International Mediation Writing Competition. Participating students were invited to write a mediation memorandum on behalf of a client who is preparing to participate in the mediation of a litigated dispute.

On December 19, 2022, select students from the participating countries gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers from around the world. During the ceremony, WIF Founder, Judge Danny Weinstein, and WIF Board Member and Competition Chair, Jay Welsh, along with the Senior Fellows who led the competition in their countries, announced this year’s winners and discussed the importance of mediation brief writing to the future of dispute resolution.
 

First Place Awards Announced on December 19, 2022
Brazil	Maria Eduarda Koachinski
Egypt	Mohamed Magdy
Georgia	Luka Gogua
Mexico	Ana Regina Vernon Rodríguez
Pakistan	Mariam Zaidi
Romania	Valeriu Colac
Singapore	Joey Lim Zu Er, Emma Kim Pereira, Shweta Kunaciilan

 

When asked to reflect on the experience, one student stated, “I’m full of emotions right now. I’m so thankful for everyone that made this happen…as all the previous competitors said, this was my first experience in mediation…I was glad to have the opportunity to not only work on the legal scope of the case but also to understand the specifics of the mediation process and the possibilities that it can offer…it was challenging and interesting at the same time.” Another student indicated that mediation is not part of the culture in her country. “We litigate a lot,” she said, and so “this is a very important subject.”

“In every mediation, when you see a lawyer that has mediation advocacy skills, it’s so important. You have someone else in the room who believes and who knows that something can be done to unlock the situation. And I have a dream that all of the wonderful students will be believers in the future.”
– Constantin-Adi Gavrila, Senior Fellow

In one participating country, a number of students have decided to focus their graduation projects on the subject of mediation and to pursue post-graduate studies on mediation as a result of this competition. One of the award recipients referred to his training in litigation, stating “before [we] just attacked, attacked and tried to win everything. Now, we [are trying] to find middle ground.” His sentiments were echoed by another first-place award winner when she said that “we’ve only ever known the adversarial tone.”

“In Pakistan, I assure you that in the days to come, this is going to be a very, very important skill…People with mediation skills are going to be really needed and they are going to be pioneers in Pakistan.”
– Nudrat E. Piracha, Senior Fellow

This exciting competition supports the next generation of dispute resolution professionals from around the world by providing students with an opportunity to develop essential skills in the area of mediation. As the WIF Senior Fellow from Singapore, Tat Lim, so aptly said, these students are “tomorrow’s champions and tomorrow’s practitioners.”

Thank you to each of the partnering law firms and organizations that made this opportunity possible.

For additional materials and guidance on how to write a thoughtful and effective mediation memorandum, please see the links below:

• Webinar: “How to Write an Effective Mediation Brief”
• Blog: “The Effective Mediation Brief: A Missed Opportunity for Many”

“I just want to say thank you again to everybody, all the fellows and the students who participated and made this a really memorable year. So. thank you, thank you, thank you.” – Jay Welsh, WIF Board Member