A team of Kent Law School student mediators has scooped two awards at an international mediation competition in Athens.

Final-year law students Margo Sabbah, Nadia Mauro and India Hughes were one of 52 teams competing in the 18th International Law School Mediation Tournament, sponsored by the InterNational Academy of Dispute Resolution (INADR).

Together, the team won an award for 4th best International Client Team and individually, Margo won an award for being the 7th best International Mediator.

The team was accompanied to Greece by Kent Law School Lecturer in ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) Janie Clement-Walker.

Janie, an Accredited Mediator and Advanced Negotiator, convenes an extra-curricular module in Mediation. The module introduces mediation and the skills required to resolve legal disputes without recourse to litigation. It includes practical workshops to develop skills and participation in an internal mediation competition. Winners of the in-house competitions are invited to represent Kent at national and international levels.

Last year, a team of student mediators from Kent won the Lex Infinitum Negotiation/Mediation Competition in Goa. Students have competed regularly in the National Mediation Competition with teams travelling to Jersey, Glasgow and London. Student mediators from Kent have also competed at an international level in INADR competitions held in Ireland, France, Greece and America.

Mediation is one of three ADR options open to students at Kent Law School. The second is a module in Negotiation and the third is Client Interviewing. Students can also develop practical legal skills through participation in the work of Kent Law Clinic and the School’s active mooting programme.