9th Gary B. Born Essay Competition on International Arbitration 2026 by NLU Jodhpur: Submit by 25 April!

Submissions are now open for the 9th Gary B. Born Essay Competition on International Arbitration, 2026, organised by the Centre for Advanced Research and Training in Arbitration Law (CARTAL) at National Law University, Jodhpur, in association with the Indian Journal of Arbitration Law (IJAL).

The competition invites law students from across the world to engage with important and evolving issues in international arbitration and contribute to contemporary scholarship in the field.

About the Organisers

Centre for Advanced Research and Training in Arbitration Law (CARTAL)

The Centre for Advanced Research and Training in Arbitration Law (CARTAL) is a specialised research centre at National Law University, Jodhpur dedicated to promoting academic research and professional training in the field of arbitration law.

CARTAL works towards fostering a deeper understanding of international arbitration, dispute resolution, and commercial law through research initiatives, publications, competitions, and academic events.

Indian Journal of Arbitration Law (IJAL)

The Indian Journal of Arbitration Law (IJAL) is a leading student-run, peer-reviewed law journal published by CARTAL at NLU Jodhpur. The journal focuses on contemporary developments in arbitration law, dispute resolution mechanisms, and international commercial arbitration.

IJAL has gained recognition among scholars, practitioners, and students for publishing high-quality academic work addressing emerging issues in arbitration law.

About the Gary B. Born Essay Competition

The Gary B. Born Essay Competition on International Arbitration is an annual international essay competition organised by CARTAL and IJAL. Over the years, the competition has grown into a prestigious platform that allows law students from around the world to explore complex questions in international arbitration and contribute to academic discourse.

The competition is organised with the support and patronage of Professor Gary B. Born, who serves as the Chair of the International Arbitration Practice Group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP and is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities in international arbitration.

Through this competition, participants are encouraged to engage with cutting-edge issues in arbitration law and present well-researched and innovative perspectives on contemporary challenges in the field.

Themes for the 2026 Edition

Participants are invited to submit essays on any one of the following themes:

1. The Reconfiguration of Party Autonomy in International Arbitration
2. Examining the Scope of Interim Reliefs in Arbitral Proceedings
3. Arbitrability of Public–Private Partnership Disputes

These themes aim to encourage participants to analyse the evolving framework of international arbitration and explore important questions related to party autonomy, procedural reliefs, and disputes arising from public–private collaborations.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to:

• Undergraduate law students enrolled in a recognised law programme.
• Postgraduate law students pursuing advanced legal studies.
• Students from universities across the world.

Participants are expected to submit original and well-researched essays addressing one of the specified themes.

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Benefits of Participation

The Gary B. Born Essay Competition offers participants a valuable opportunity to engage in advanced legal research and contribute to academic discourse in arbitration law.

One of the key highlights of the competition is that the winning essays may be considered for publication in the next issue of the Indian Journal of Arbitration Law (IJAL).

Publication in a reputed journal provides significant academic recognition and helps students build their research profiles in the field of arbitration law.

Submission Deadline

All submissions must be made on or before:

25 April 2026 (23:59 IST)

Participants are encouraged to submit their essays well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues.

Application Procedure

Interested participants can access the competition details and submit their essays through the following links:

Click here to Access Website:

For any queries regarding the competition, participants may contact the organisers at:

Email: ijal@nlujodhpur.ac.in

Click here to Downlaod Brochure

Click here to submit