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Our FAQ
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Who is eligible to be a member of a team?Any law student in the world can participate in the SAM! Please refer to our Rules for further information regarding eligibility.
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Who can plead during oral arguments?A Team can be composed of up to 6 (six) members. As such, all team members can plead during the SAM General Rounds, more specifically two team members per given round. Teams are most welcome to alternate speakers in between rounds i.e. A given member may plead during one round while not pleading during the second etc.
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Does the SAM Organization help with the acquisition of a visa to travel for the SAM Elimination Rounds?Yes. It is highly recommended that Teams apply for a visa as early as possible. The location of the SAM Elimination Rounds may vary from one edition to another. As such, the SAM Organization can provide an invitation letter to individuals who require so in order to support their application. That being said, the SAM Organization cannot otherwise interfere with the process of visa procurement.
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How many team members should there be?In light of the configuration of the Competition, a Team may be composed of a minimum of 2 (two) members, without exceeding 6 (six) members in total (excluding the coach(es)).
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Does the SAM Organization provide any financial assistance with the registration fees?Yes. The SAM Organization strives to give the opportunity to all students worldwide to practise their advocacy skills. As such, Teams can apply for a registration fee waiver before the deadline for registration passes. To be considered for a fee waiver, any given team must submit evidence of low means that prevent them from paying the applicable price. Each application will be examined on a case-by-case basis.
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Does the SAM Organization provide any financial assistance to participate in the SAM Elimination Rounds?After the SAM General Rounds, an application form for financial assistance may be circulated by the SAM Organization. Depending on the funds available, it may provide partial financial assistance limited to travel and/or accommodation expenses (in the form of reimbursements). Any concerned Team should provide such application form with all supporting documents within the established time limit. The SAM Organization is not bound to allocate funds to a Team if an application is submitted. Concurrently, the SAM Organization may refuse the reimbursement failing to comply with the applicable deadlines.
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How much should a Coach contribute to our preparation?The Sports Arbitration Moot aims to create a level playing field for all students. Therefore, a Coach should merely assist Teams in preparation for the SAM General Rounds i.e. guidance with legal research and/or advocacy in general. A Coach should not substitute for the team members during the preparation or during rounds.
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Do we need a Coach to participate in the Sports Arbitration Moot?No. Many Teams each year qualify for the SAM Elimination Rounds without a coach or any external help. Therefore, we encourage each Team to engage fully in the competition as the absence of a Coach does not constitute any disadvantage.
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Can the Coach(es) come with our Team if we qualify for the SAM Elimination Rounds?Of course.
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What is the SAM Camp?The SAM Camp is a week-long crash course which aims to introduce students to sports arbitration and advocacy in preparation for the SAM General Rounds. The SAM Camp lectures focus on 4 (four) core aspects, with additional special lectures occurring on occasion: Legal Research, Oral Advocacy, Merits issues and Jurisdictional issues.
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Can I join the SAM Camp even though I am not participating in the Competition?No. The SAM Camp is reserved to participating teams of a given edition and is included in the registration fees paid by the applicable deadline.
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What if I miss a SAM Camp lecture?The SAM Organization strives to the extent possible to accommodate students’ academic schedules and diverse time zones. Please do not worry as each lecture will be recorded and provided to you shortly after its occurrence.
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Can we alternate speakers in between the SAM General and Eliminations Rounds?Yes. Although this is allowed, not all Team members are given the opportunity to plead and are therefore not “graded” by the SAM Arbitrators. As such, the SAM Organization will only share the Teams ranking in an effort to value collective achievements rather than individual performances.
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Are we bound by our Skeletons of Argument and List of Legal Authorities during the SAM General Rounds?Yes. This means that in making their oral pleadings in the General Rounds, the Appellant and Respondent should not invoke Legal Authorities that are not on their lists, except if prompted to by the Panel or in their rebuttal. Should you depart from your List of Legal Authorities, the Panel may pick this up and it may prompt you to support your argument with relevant authorities. Likewise, you should not depart from your Skeleton of Arguments. However, as you progress to the next rounds you may of course develop new arguments which can be relevant. If this is done without supportive authority, this may again be picked up by the Panel. Whether or not the weaknesses of your legal submissions should impact your scoring is at the discretion of the Panel. Should you qualify for the SAM Elimination Rounds, you will have the opportunity to amend your List of Legal Authorities and Skeleton of Arguments which can then include the missing and new authorities and/or arguments.
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Can we make amendments to our Skeletons of Argument and List of Authorities ahead of the SAM Elimination Rounds?Mindful that further ideas may emerge after the General Rounds, Teams can provide amendments to their legal submissions (i.e. Skeleton of Argument and List of Authorities) during a specific time period set by the SAM Organization after the General Rounds.
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Does rebuttal count in our total pleading time?No. As per the SAM Rules Teams may agree on rebuttal and surrebuttal. These shall not exceed 1 minute each unless the Parties otherwise agree. In other words, such rebuttal times should be added to the overall hearing duration (which should not exceed 60 minutes).
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Can we include full extracts of materials used (e.g. rules, books, articles etc.)?No. Legal submissions, especially the List of Authorities will be checked. Teams should limit themselves to specific sections relevant to support their argument. Should we flag a full extract, its withdrawal will immediately be requested. Should the Team not proceed to remove the full extract in delay, it will ultimately be removed by the SAM Organization, preventing said Team to rely on it during the SAM General or Elimination Rounds.
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How should we address the Arbitral Tribunal and counterparts?Generally, oralists address the Arbitral Tribunal by saying “Madam President/Arbitrator,”, “Mister President/Arbitrator”. Honorific titles such as “Respected Authorities” or “Your Honour” should be avoided. Counterparts may refer to each other by saying, for example, “Counsel for Appellant” or “Counsel for Respondent”
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Are the arbitrators allowed to ask questions during our pleadings?Yes. Each SAM Arbitrator will have his/her own style of managing a hearing. As such, some may interrupt with questions that should be addressed and count towards pleading time. By contrast, some may prefer to ask questions at the end of an oralist’s argument. In any event, there will be a total of 40 minutes per oral round, which arbitrators can decide, at their discretion, to extend up to 60 minutes for questioning, bearing in mind the principle of equality between the Parties.
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Can a hearing be recorded?No, except with the express approval of all the parties in attendance.
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Will individual team members’ scores be revealed?No. The SAM Organization decided not to publicly share the individual scores of every member of each team, as we believe that it will not benefit the ensemble of the participants. Many teams were composed of students that did not get the chance to act as oralists, and thus were not "graded" by the arbitrators and would not appear in the ranking. We also believe that such a ranking will inevitably cause them to shift the focus from the team effort to their individual performance, and this does not reflect the spirit of the competition. After the SAM General Rounds, all participating teams will receive the ranking which determines the Best 16 Teams qualified for the SAM Elimination Rounds. At the end of the Competition, teams scores will be circulated electronically i.e. the overall score of each team during the SAM General Rounds.
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Can electronics be used during the hearings?No. Despite the SAM General Rounds being held online, Teams should beware that reading through a screen can be visible and impact scoring. During the SAM Elimination Rounds, no electronics should be used, except to keep track of time. It is highly recommended that Teams print hard copies of any relevant document before an in-person hearing.
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