International Baseball Arbitration Competition

The 16th Annual International Baseball Arbitration Competition will take place at Tulane Law School from Thursday, January 19 through Friday, January 20, 2023. We are excited to announce that this year’s competition will be returning to an in-person event!

Thank you to the competitors and arbitrators who participated in the 15th Annual International Baseball Arbitration Competition.

REGISTRATION IN NOW OPEN for the Advocate Competition -- https://cvent.me/5mvqnq
If you are interested in participating in the written only competition, please fill out this survey:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejKOkWBr4pLCdXHfwN7rzplnU7VkSnoD25yqrIqGCWCIsrSA/viewform?usp=sf_link

The early registration deadline is Monday, November 14, 2022. The regular registration deadline is Friday, December 2, 2022, and payments must be received no later than Friday, December 16, 2022. Registration will remain open until we've received online registration forms and payments from at least forty (40) teams. Payment information is provided at the registration link. We are happy to inform you that you have the option to pay by either credit card or check this year. Please note that the Rulebook and Problem below are from 2021, and will be updated well in advance of the brief submission deadline.

About the Competition

The Tulane International Baseball Arbitration Competition, run by the Tulane Sports Law Society, is a simulated salary arbitration competition modeled closely on the procedures used by Major League Baseball (MLB). Like most law school moot court competitions, TIBAC’s main goal is to provide participants with the opportunity to sharpen their oral and written advocacy skills. However, the competition is unique in that it allows law students to sharpen these skills within the specialized context of MLB's salary arbitration proceedings. The competition is held annually in the early part of the spring academic semester at Tulane University Law School. Additionally, Tulane’s Sports Law Society hosts a panel of experts to discuss legal issues related to baseball.

Please check out Craig Calcaterra’s (NBC Sports) and Jerry Crasnick’s (ESPN) coverage of the competition:

Craig Calcaterra's “Future sports lawyers battle in baseball arbitration competition"

Jerry Crasnick's "Inside Tulane's arbitration competition" 

Competition Materials

• 2023 TIBAC Speaker Series presentation slides
• 2021 TIBAC Rulebook
• 2022 TIBAC Registration Information
• 2021 TIBAC Problem
• Sample Brief (Rutgers Law School, 2018)
• Sample Exhibit (Rutgers Law School, 2018)
• Sample Hearing Video (Final Hearing, 2015)
• MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement  
• Salary Arbitration Guide

Past Guest Arbitrators

• Scott Barber (Player Agent, Ballengee Group)
• Jay Cohen (Staff Attorney/Baseball Specialist, Zuckerman Spaeder, LLP)
• Greg Dreyfuss (Director of Analytics and Baseball Operations, MLBPA)
• Sam Eaton (Director, Baseball Operations, Arizona Diamondbacks)
• Mark Feinsand (Executive Reporter, MLB.Com)
• Jon Fetterolf (Partner, Zuckerman Spaeder, LLP)
• Rex Gary (Co-Founder, Turner-Gary Sports)
• Brian Grieper (Player Agent, Paragon Sports International)
• Evan Green (Director of Arbitration, Baseball Division, Creative Artists Agency)
• Trey Hendricks (Director of International Scouting, Cincinnati Reds)
• Giles Kibbe (Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Houston Astros)
• Matt Kleine (Vice President, Baseball Operations, Milwaukee Brewers)
• Marc Kligman (Player Agent, Total Care Sports Management)
• Nona Lee (Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Arizona Diamondbacks)
• Joseph Longo (Player Agent, Paragon Sports International)
• Rachel Luba (Player Agent, Founder, Luba Sports)
• Michael Mariano (Vice President, Baseball Operations at Wasserman)
• Greg McMillin (Assistant Director of International Scouting, Cincinnati Reds)
• Mike Parnell (Assistant Director of Pro Scouting, Texas Rangers)
• Caroline Perry (Senior Vice President & General Counsel, San Diego Padres)
• Jay Reisinger (Partner, Farrell & Reisinger, LLC)
• Zack Rosenthal (Assistant General Manager, Baseball Operations, and Assistant General Counsel, Colorado Rockies)
• Philip Stringer (Professional Scout, Los Angeles Dodgers)
• Stephanie Wilka (Associate General Counsel & Baseball Operations Compliance Officer, San Diego Padres)
• Alex Winsberg (General Counsel, Legal and Risk Management, Los Angeles Angels)
• Hamilton Wise (Assistant Director of International Scouting, Texas Rangers)

2022 Finalists

Congratulations to the following teams and participants:

• Champions: Fordham University School of Law
• Runner-Up: The University of Iowa School of Law
• Semi-Finalists: UCLA School of Law & University of Texas School Law
• Written Advocacy Award: Fordham University School of Law
• Oral Advocacy Award: Fordham University School of Law
• Written Competition Winner: George Mason university Law School

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the competition, please contact Baseball Arbitration Co-Chairs Wilson Beattie, Thomas Birchfield, Lorraine Kelly, and Connor Weldon by email at tulane.baseball.arbitration@gmail.com