Faculty · dispute resolution
12 Mar 2025 · 8 min read
Arbitration in the GCC: What In-House Counsel Should Know
General counsel and commercial leads across the Gulf increasingly allocate risk through arbitration
clauses tied to institutional rules, specialised seats, and cross-border enforcement realities. This
piece distils what practitioners should verify before a dispute arises: the interaction between
governing law, curial courts, and the procedural economy tribunals expect in complex commercial
matters.
At SOUL, we emphasise clause design, written advocacy, and evidentiary discipline—so graduates can
brief counsel, instruct experts, and coordinate strategy with arbitration centres and co-counsel
confidently. The goal is not “form familiarity” alone, but judgment under pressure: when to
consolidate claims, how to frame interim relief, and how to align witness narratives with documentary
trails.
Whether you aim for in-house leadership, private practice, or government advisory roles, the through-line
is the same: clear drafting, disciplined preparation, and respect for tribunal process. That is the
standard we train—and the standard the region’s most consequential matters increasingly demand.
Praxis · corporate practice
3 Mar 2025 · 6 min read
From Moot Court to the Deal Room: Training Corporate Litigators
Corporate law rewards lawyers who can move fluently between negotiation, drafting, and dispute
containment. Our Praxis pathway connects classroom rigour with simulations, drafting studios, and
mentor feedback from practitioners—so students experience the tempo of real transactions and the
discipline of client-ready work product.
The bridge from moot court to boardroom is not automatic; it is built through repetition: term sheets,
risk registers, closing checklists, and the habit of translating facts into legally operative
language. We train students to see litigation risk as a design problem—something transactional teams can
anticipate early, not discover late.
Graduates leave SOUL with a portfolio mindset: organised, persuasive, and accountable—whether they join
a full-service firm, a specialised boutique, or an in-house team steering regional expansion.
Student & faculty · technology
18 Feb 2025 · 7 min read
Technology, Privacy, and Digital Evidence in Civil Litigation
Modern disputes rarely hinge on a single contract PDF. They unfold across email archives, enterprise
chat logs, mobile backups, and cloud repositories—often across jurisdictions with different privacy
defaults. Lawyers must understand authenticity, chain of custody, and proportionality: what to ask for,
how to review it responsibly, and how to present it clearly to a judge or tribunal.
This article outlines a practical framework for civil practitioners: mapping data sources early,
coordinating with forensic vendors where needed, and defending work-product choices under scrutiny. It
also highlights ethical boundaries as firms adopt AI-assisted review—where human oversight remains
indispensable.
SOUL’s programmes integrate these skills alongside substantive doctrine, because technical competence
and professional responsibility are inseparable in contemporary practice.
Research · S.J.D.
5 Feb 2025 · 9 min read
S.J.D. Scholarship and the Future of Legal Thought
The Doctor of Juridical Science is more than a credential; it is a commitment to sustained inquiry—into
institutions, rights, markets, and the legitimacy of legal authority in a connected world. At SOUL,
doctoral researchers work at the intersection of comparative public law, transnational regulation, and
justice-sector reform, with close faculty supervision and a culture of constructive critique.
Strong scholarship does not stay in the library. It sharpens teaching, informs policy conversations, and
elevates the profession’s vocabulary for emerging problems—from digital governance to climate-related
liability and corporate accountability.
Our aim is straightforward: produce scholars who write with clarity, argue with integrity, and publish
work that earns the respect of courts, regulators, and peers worldwide.
