Carl Mudd ’17 Wins NY Honor in Alternative Dispute Resolution Writing Competition

Carl Mudd ’17 has been recognized as the top New York entrant in the inaugural New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)/ American College of Civil Trial Mediators (ACCTM) National Championship Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Student Writing Competition. The honor carries a $1,000 prize.

Mudd, now an associate at Mendes & Mount in New York City, submitted his winning article, “The Past, Present and Future of the Doctrine of 'Manifest Disregard,” shortly before commencement last spring. A 16-judge panel comprising members of the NYSBA Dispute Resolution Section, the Editorial Board of the ACCTM and its American Journal of Mediation selected the piece from among 55 entries from law schools across the United States and Canada.

“The interest and excitement which this competition generated in law students, faculty and the entire dispute resolution community was just wonderful to see,” said John Wilkinson, who led the Dispute Resolution Section's participation in the competition. “I was particularly taken by the quality of the papers entered, which was simply off the charts.”

In his article, Mudd examines the split among Circuit Courts regarding the Doctrine of Manifest Disregard of the Law and argues that the doctrine remains a viable means for vacating awards rendered by arbitrators, despite its diverging and differing interpretations among courts.

Mudd and other winners will receive their awards at the Dispute Resolution Section’s Fall Meeting on October 26 at New York Law School. The winning entries will be published in the State Bar’s New York Dispute Resolution Lawyer and the American Journal of Mediation.