SLAM 2027: 8th Sports Law Arbitration Moot (Grand Finals at CAS, Lausanne, 22-23 April 2027)
LawInSport.About SLAM
The Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM) is a not-for-profit sports law moot court competition focused on arbitration of real-life sports disputes. It is the only sports law moot using exclusively CAS arbitrators (including the leading CAS arbitrators) to serve as judges of its main oral rounds, and its hypotheticals are drawn from real life cases such as disputes relating to football, safeguarding, anti-doping and governance.
SLAM has been designed to make sports arbitration more inclusive and diverse, so that no matter where you are located or your financial circumstances you will be able to participate. It was founded in 2019 by SportLex - Sports Law Institute (Ljubljana, Slovenia) and has been supported by LawInSport since inception. It has been a LawInSport event since 2021 and is currently presented by Kellerhals Carrard.
The 2027 edition and the Grand Finals
The Grand Finals of the 8th Sports Law Arbitration Moot Competition will take place at the offices of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 22–23 April 2027. The competition returns for its eighth edition, with the next generation of sports lawyers taking centre stage at CAS.
The 2027 edition is organised by LawInSport and presented by Kellerhals Carrard.
Why the CAS venue matters
The venue places students at the heart of international sports arbitration, giving finalists a rare opportunity to argue their cases in the setting of the institution that plays the central role in resolving disputes in sport. By bringing students into the CAS environment, SLAM gives aspiring sports lawyers the opportunity to experience the standards, rigour and advocacy skills required in sports arbitration, while engaging with practitioners who work in the field.
The announcement also highlights the role that experienced arbitrators and the wider sports law community can play in supporting and inspiring future generations of legal professionals.
Format and judging
SLAM combines legal research, written submissions and oral advocacy around disputes drawn from real-life issues in sport. Its judging panel includes experienced CAS arbitrators, who give students direct feedback from practitioners with expertise in sports law and arbitration.
The announcement does not set out the number of rounds, the memorial rules or the round schedule before the finals; these should be checked on the registration page.
Who can take part
Registration is open to eligible student teams worldwide. The eligibility requirements and further information are on the official team registration page linked below.
Fee and financial assistance
Financial assistance is available to eligible teams to help reduce financial barriers to participation. The announcement does not state the registration fee or a registration deadline.
What the organisers and CAS say
Matthieu Reeb, CAS Director General, said: “The CAS is once again delighted to host the next edition of the SLAM finals in 2027,” and added that “The interest in this event grows year after year, and I am pleased to emphasize the involvement of CAS arbitrators in supervising this competition.”
Michael Lenard OLY, Acting President of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS), attended the 2026 SLAM Grand Finals. Impressed by the standard of the students' performances, he described watching them compete as a special experience and praised their potential to build successful careers in sports law.
Jeffrey Benz, Judging Director of SLAM, said: “SLAM challenges students to think and argue like sports lawyers, applying the law to complex disputes and defending their positions before experienced practitioners.” Blaz Tomazin Bolcar, co-founder of SLAM, said: “From the beginning, SLAM has been about opening doors for students who want to build a career in sports law.”
How to register and contact
Registration is now open for SLAM 2027. Teams can find eligibility requirements and further information on the 8th Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM) team registration page. For further information, the announcement directs readers to contact the organisers at the email address given on the LawInSport page.
CAS arbitrators and advocates interested in judging the competition can find further information through the link on the same announcement.
SLAM Organising Committee
- Manan Agrawal, Director of SLAM and Deputy Director of Content, LawInSport
- Jeffrey Benz, Attorney, Barrister, Arbitrator, Mediator, JAMS/4 New Square Chambers/Court of Arbitration for Sport and Judging Director of SLAM
- Sean Cottrell, CEO and Co-Founder, LawInSport
- Blaz Tomazin Bolcar, founder of SportLaw and co-founder of SLAM
About the Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is an independent organisation that resolves sports disputes worldwide. Established in 1984, CAS has tailored procedural rules to render impartial decisions through arbitration and mediation. Sporting bodies and athletes assign CAS the judicial authority to uphold an equal and just application of sporting regulations. CAS has nearly 500 arbitrators from more than 90 countries, chosen for their specialist knowledge of arbitration and sports law, and around 1000 cases are registered by CAS every year.
About LawInSport
LawInSport is the world leading sports law knowledge hub and global community that provides practically focused expert analysis and commentary on the latest legal developments in sport. It collaborates with a community of over 30,000 lawyers, sports executives, sports administrators, athletes, coaches, academics and students and their organisations.