7th Surana & Surana–RGNUL International Arbitral Award Writing Competition
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab
📌About the Event
The 7th Surana & Surana–RGNUL International Arbitral Award Writing Competition 2026 is an international legal writing competition organised by the Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR), Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab, in collaboration with Surana & Surana International Attorneys, Chennai. The competition provides students worldwide with an opportunity to develop their legal research, analytical reasoning and arbitration skills by drafting a well-reasoned arbitral award based on a given legal dispute. Participants compete through a written submission round, followed by an online presentation round for the top 10 entries, with cash prizes totalling ₹55,000
ℹ️ Event Details
- Mode of Conduct: Online
- Competition Level: International
- Category: Law, Arbitration, Legal Research and Writing
- Participation: Individual or team of 2
- Eligibility: University students worldwide
- Competition Structure:
- Phase I – Arbitral Award Submission: Participants draft and submit a reasoned arbitral award based on the competition problem. The top 10 entries qualify for the next round.
- Phase II – Arbitral Award Presentation: Shortlisted participants present their awards before an online judging panel.
📅 Important Dates
- Arbitral Award Submission Deadline: 30 November 2026
- Announcement of Shortlisted Participants: 30 December 2026
- Online Arbitral Award Presentation: 17 January 2027
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibilty:
- Open to undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and other university students worldwide.
- Students pursuing B.A., LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D., M.Phil. or other academic programmes are eligible.
- Individual participation and teams of two are permitted.
- Students from different universities may form a team, provided both satisfy the eligibility requirements.
- Each team is considered one competition entry.
🏆 Benefits for the Participants
- First Prize: ₹25,000
- Second Prize: ₹15,000
- Third Prize: ₹10,000
- Consolation Prizes: ₹1,000 each for the next five best entries.
- Special Recognition: RGNUL students placing among the top three receive a special prize from Surana & Surana International Attorneys instead of the standard top-three cash prizes.
- Skill Development: Opportunity to strengthen arbitration drafting, legal research, critical reasoning and presentation skills.