The Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP Canadian Labour Arbitration Competition takes place in Toronto, Ontario every January. This event is open to second-year students and there are currently eight schools from across the country that choose to participate annually. This competition has been going on since 1999 and is a great way for Mathews Dinsdale & Clark to promote the practice of labour law in Canada. It is also a chance for the associates to work with students on their arbitration skills and hopefully influences the next generation.

The students are given all of the guidelines that they will need in October and the schools are responsible for choosing the two students that will represent them. The participants are expected to know enough about the Agreed Statement of Facts to be able to argue both sides and answer any questions that might come up. During the round robin on the Saturday, the eight teams will have the opportunity to both represent the union and the management sides. At the end of this portion of the competition the panel will meet to determine which two pairs will go on to the final on Sunday.

This competition has been worked into the curriculum of many of the law schools that participate. You can receive a second-year credit for your preparation work and might need to add on a few extra assignments. This is only one of the advantages of being a part of this competition. The winners are also given a scholarship that will go towards their third-year tuition and many of the expenses for the event are sponsored by local law firms. You are not only given the opportunity to work with the associates at Mathews Dinsdale & Clark, but many of the best lawyers in the country help to mentor the competition or act as members of the panel.

The subject of the moot is usually something to do with a wrongful discharge grievance and each pair will need to do a lot of research if they are going to get to the final round. Osgoode Hall won the competition in 2010 and the students from Queens took second place. But it is anyone's game who is going to take home the trophy in the 2011 Mathews Dinsdale & Clark Labour Arbitration Competition.

References:

Osgoode Hall Participates in 2011 Mathews Dinsdale Event

A Team of Second-Year Law Students from Osgoode Hall Wins 2010 Mathews Dinsdale Arbitration Competition

University of British Columbia announces Competition Guidelines for Mathews Dinsdale Labour Arbitration Event

Credits offered at U of T Faculty of Law for Second-Year Mathews Dinsdale Competition Participants

UWO posts Competition Prerequisites for Mathews Dinsdale Event