On 7 July 2026, CEPANI hosted its Intern Day, bringing together a group of young interns (students and junior lawyers,) with international backgrounds for a half-day of practical insights into the world of arbitration.
Held at the CEPANI offices in Brussels, the event featured three presentations by experienced practitioners and CEPANI staff members, offering participants a comprehensive overview of arbitration proceedings, Belgian arbitration law, and the institution's digital tools. The programme reflected CEPANI's commitment to training the next generation of arbitration practitioners.
The day opened with a presentation by Vanessa Foncke, the President of CEPANI, on the mechanics of an arbitration proceeding. She walked participants through the successive stages of a CEPANI arbitration, from the filing of the request for arbitration under Article 3 of the CEPANI Rules to the rendering of the final award with a particular focus on specific issues and focus points to keep in mind. The President also introduced the interns to CEPANI's broader range of alternative dispute resolution services, including mediation, domain name dispute resolution, C‑SAR for sports-related disputes, C‑Build for construction disputes, and other specialised ADR mechanisms tailored to specific sectors and needs.
The second presentation was delivered by Guillaume Croisant and Lauren Rasking, co-chairs of CEPANI40, on Belgian arbitration law in practice. The heart of their presentation was devoted to the drafting of arbitration clauses, with a series of practical do's and don'ts.
Building on these practical discussions, the lunch break offered participants the opportunity to continue the exchange in a more informal setting. Interns had the opportunity to network with the morning speakers, alongside other invited seasoned arbitrators, mediators, counsel, and in-house counsel. These exchanges provided valuable insights into the realities of legal practice and arbitration, while offering a deeper understanding of the role of in-house counsel in arbitral proceedings. The event also enabled interns to connect with one another in a welcoming, intellectually stimulating, and diverse environment.
The programme concluded with a practical presentation by Emma Van Campenhoudt (Secretary General of CEPANI) and Astrid Moreau (Counsel at the CEPANI Secretariat), who introduced CEPANI's online services and guided participants through the website, highlighting the wide range of information and resources available and demonstrating how to navigate the website efficiently. Participants were also introduced to the online Model Request for Arbitration and were guided through its principal features and key requirements.
The CEPANI Intern Day 2026 proved to be a rich and stimulating occasion. The diversity of the speakers and the international profile of the participants made for a dynamic exchange, and the event offered a rare opportunity to discover the full arc of arbitration practice from procedural mechanics and cost management to clause drafting and institutional tools.
We highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about arbitration!
