New York, NY; January 30, 2023—The New York State Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Section has announced its Annual Mediation Tournament, which launched in March of 2019, is returning and has been scheduled for March 3 and 4, 2023 in New York City.  Additional sponsors are Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, Hogan Lovells US LLP and the American Arbitration Association. The Tournament will be held at the offices of Hogan Lovells US LLP, 390 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017.  The Tournament is open to law schools and LLM students nationwide and this year twelve teams are participating.

The Tournament is unique in that it enables three-member teams of law students to develop and display both advanced mediation and advocacy skills while participating as mediators, advocates and in-house client representatives. The event is judged in the Preliminary Rounds by a respected group of experienced mediators, practitioners and members of the judiciary. The Final Round of Judges consists of the following distinguished jurists: The Honorable Anthony Cannataro, Acting Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, the Honorable Sarah L. Cave, Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the Honorable Jeffrey K. Oing, Associate Judge of the Appellate Division, First Department, the Honorable Elizabeth Emerson, Judge of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Commercial Division, the Honorable Robert R. Reed, Judge of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Commercial Division and the Honorable Elizabeth S. Stong, Bankruptcy Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. A variety of cash prizes are awarded to the winning team and mediator, as well as an award for best mediation statement.

“This is a truly wonderful opportunity for the students to earn valuable mediation experience, receive evaluations on their skills from some of the most respected experts in the field, and to network with top industry legal talents”, said Leslie Berkoff, a Partner and Chair of the Dispute Resolution Department of Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, and the former Co-Chair of the Mediation Committee of the Dispute Resolution Section of the New York State Bar Association. Ms. Berkoff developed and launched the Tournament and continues to serve as its Executive Director.

To learn more about the NYSBA Mediation Tournament please visit the official event page: NYSBA 2023 Mediation Tournament or contact Ms. Berkoff.

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