2026 CPR International Mediation Competition

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2026 CPR International Mediation Competition (IMC)

A leading international mediation competition held in Latin America, this competition demonstrates CPR’s commitment to promoting mediation across the globe while also showcasing the leadership of the Brazilian community in hosting this marquee event. 

The history of the IMC 

CPR first brought the International Mediation Competition ("IMC") to Brazil in 2017 and has continued with this annual tradition in São Paulo except for a few years during the pandemic when the IMC was presented virtually. Participants were thrilled to return to an in-person competition in Brazil in 2023 after two years of remote competition.

Students from all around the world apply through a competitive application process to have their school team be selected as one of only 18 teams who will compete in the live rounds in Brazil. During the IMC, students have the opportunity to display their mediation and legal advocacy skills, network with each other and with professionals in the field, and learn from some of the leading experts in mediation and dispute resolution.

2026 CPR IMC returns to Insper!

The 2026 CPR IMC will be hosted for the fourth consecutive year by Insper at its state-of-the-art campus in beautiful São Paulo (Brazil).

The Insper Institute of Education and Research is a private, not-for-profit, higher education and research institution located in the Vila Olympia district close to the new business centre in São Paulo, Brazil. The university offers higher education courses on fields of Business Administration, Economics, Engineering, Law and Computer Science.

Language: English

Dates: Official dates are: Thursday, March 5- Saturday, March 7, 2026 (must attend all three days)

Join us early for IMC Week events: Conference on March 4, 2026

Location: Insper, Rua Quatá, 300 - Vila Olímpia - São Paulo, Brazil

Eligibility: Students registered in a university at the time of application are eligible to participate in the Competition, however, students who are or have previously been practicing lawyers or are entitled to practice law in any jurisdiction, by having passed a bar exam or otherwise, at the time of Application of the respective team, are not Eligible Students. Proof of enrollment will be required.

Teams: Only one team per school may apply. Teams have a minimum of three students, one each in the role of mediator, counsel/negotiator, and client, and may include up to 3 alternates for a total maximum of 6 students per team, plus one team coach (it is not mandatory to have a coach). If any other students or mentors are traveling with the team, they must purchase a guest ticket and remain strictly in the role of an observer during the competition.

Limit of one team per school. A school may not nominate more than 1 team to the Competition. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure they have any necessary approvals from their school before applying. Should the Organizing Committee receive more than one application or nomination from a school, the Organizing Committee has full discretion to either (i) select only one of the teams or (ii) void all teams from that school. Under no circumstance will more than one team from a school be selected for the Competition. 

Application: Teams are required to submit an online application for consideration by the Organizing Committee. There is an application fee of $25 USD per team. Team applications close on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET!

TEAM APPLICATIONS HAVE CLOSED

Selection and Registration Process: Applications are reviewed by the Organizing Committee to select teams for the 2026 CPR IMC. If a team is selected, they will be required to confirm their commitment to participating in the IMC by completing a registration form and submitting the registration fee of $300 USD per team.

1. the scholarship amount they are seeking, 
2. what efforts they are making to secure funding from other sources, 
3. how they will secure the rest of the funding needed to compete given the fact that the scholarship will most likely only partially cover their expenses, and 
4. how the team believes participation in the Competition would advance the use of Mediation in their country.

Teams should note that the CPR IMC Scholarship Fund has limited resources and may only be able to accommodate partial scholarships for a few teams. 

Awards: CPR will award the top team/competitor in each of these categories: Best Negotiator, Best Mediator, Best Written Statement, Best Client, Best Counsel, and Best Teamwork.

Guests and Observers: The Organizing Committee may issue a limited number of guest tickets to attend portions of the CPR IMC. Guests must purchase tickets in advance of the IMC; tickets may not be purchased at the door and observers will not be admitted without pre-registration.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE GUEST TICKETS

Experienced Mediators are invited to serve as judges for the IMC to judge the written statements (no travel required) and the live mediation sessions (attend in-person in São Paulo).

Please submit the form below to indicate your mediation experience, interest in serving as a judge and availability during the dates of the IMC. The Organizing Committee will review submissions and extend official invitations to selected judges.

If invited to serve as a judge for the live rounds of the 2026 CPR IMC in Brazil, judges are responsible for their travel arrangements and costs (including verification of visa requirements), and confirm that they will appear in-person in São Paulo, Brazil for the IMC as there will be no virtual participation for the live rounds.  

All judges will be asked to attend a training session to review updated IMC rules and scoring instructions.

To indicate your interest and availability, please complete the form at your earliest convenience.

CLICK HERE FOR JUDGES REGISTRATION FORM

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