Attorney Tremblay was recently invited and served as Judge at the prestigious Law School Mediation Tournament conducted by the International Academy of Dispute Resolution. Attorney Tremblay judged the first round in the Northeast Invitational Tournament held at Northeastern University Law School in Boston on October 3-5, 2013.  This competition continues with a Regional Competition at Drake School of Law in Des Moines, Iowa from October 31 – November 1, 2013; and then a National final competition at the Loyola University Chicago Law School in March, 2014.  Students from Law Schools from around the world participate in this competition, and the Boston competition was pleased to host teams from as far away as Canada and Scotland this year.  The skill level of the law students was very impressive, and Attorney Tremblay was honored to be invited to judge the contest, and enthusiastically support the development of formal Mediation as an alternative method of dispute resolution around the world.

“When I attended law school,”  Attorney Tremblay said, ” ‘Mediation’ was barely in the vocabulary of law professors, and formalized mediation wasn’t taught at all. Over the years, negotiation skills courses evolved, and slowly arbitration and mediation crept into the law school lexicon. But it wasn’t until recently that formal mediation courses emerged. It’s wonderful now that law students aren’t taught that litigation is the only solution for their clients; that there are other options, and when those options, like mediation, may suit the needs and solve the problems of their clients.  The talented young law students I judged at this competition will soon become a tidal wave of new thinking in dispute resolution and the next generation of litigants will be the beneficiaries. They will not only be receptive to mediation, they will be supportive and help their clients resolve their disputes more humanely, economically and effectively.  It was genuinely pleasing to watch the young law students approach dispute resolution by eliciting and understanding the needs and goals of the parties, making sure their voices were heard and finding resolutions that met their interests.”

You can read more about the International Academy of Dispute Resolution Tournament here: http://www.inadr.org/tournaments/law-school-tournament

Attorney Tremblay has been invited back to Judge the 2014 competition.