The City of London has long been an international centre for Arbitration and dispute resolution. The Masters of the early Guilds, the forerunners of today's Livery Companies, often acted as arbitrators in disputes between guild members and between those members and their customers.
The Worshipful Company of Arbitrators seeks to foster the professions of arbitration, mediation and other forms of private dispute resolution as a collegiate forum for practitioners and proponents. We aim to support the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs and the Aldermen in the development of UK business and in the promotion of London and the UK as a centre for the provision of private dispute resolution services and as a source of advice and guidance internationally. There is an Annual Lecture held in the City and a Pupillage Scheme provides assistance to aspiring arbitrators. We are members of the Financial Services Group of modern Livery Companies through which we provide active support to the Lord Mayor in his rĂ´le as ambassador for UK trade and commerce.
Through its Charity the Company provides support in the education of students in the fields of arbitration and other related forms of dispute resolution; a number of grants and bursaries are given every year.
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The finalists with their coaches. Winners (UCL) on the left, runners up (City Law School) on the right.
Mediation Skills Competition for UK Students
The Worshipful Company of Arbitrators announced its first UK Mediation Skills contest in July 2010. The Competition is open to universities and law colleges throughout the UK and is intended to assist in training law students to better understand the skills needed to be effective in negotiation and mediation and to give students the opportunity to exhibit and develop their problem-solving skills. Student teams are divided into requesting and responding parties and adopt the role of counsel and client before an experienced mediator and judges. At the end of each session the teams are given constructive feedback by the judges to help them develop their skills. Read more...