Business disputes, especially those with an international context, are often decided by an arbitral tribunal. As of January 1, 1998, the Federal Republic of Germany has adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law for domestic and international arbitrations taking place in Germany. Consequently, German parties have increasingly chosen arbitration as a means of dispute resolution. Moreover, international parties are also discovering Germany as a suitable place for arbitration. The reason for this trend is not only the acceptance of the well-known and arbitration-friendly Model Law. Germany as the designated place of arbitration compares favourably with its international competitors given its very efficient court system that willingly supports arbitral tribunals, if required. Furthermore, a large number of polyglot German lawyers who are well-versed in the laws of foreign jurisdictions are qualified to conduct arbitral proceedings at a high standard for – compared to their Anglo-Saxon competitors – a relatively low price.
What are the key qualifications for tomorrow's attorney? And how do we have to structure legal education to teach the so-determined qualifications? The answers to both questions seem difficult, if not impossible, since they require a prediction of how the legal market will develop. However, as with most difficult questions, the answers prove to be easier than expected: In this case, they may be embodied in two poems by the German poet Erich Kästner (1899-1974) which are quite meaningful, not only in our regard. The first poem reads:Wissen ist Macht,wie schief gedacht,Wissen ist wenig,Können ist König.
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