A global legal innovation challenge for the leaders of tomorrow

IE Law School has just launched a new edition of Comparative Law in Action (CLIA), an international academic competition that brings together law students from leading universities to tackle a complex case from a comparative perspective. The initiative combines academic rigor, hands-on methodology, and a strategic view of law as a key tool for addressing the major regulatory challenges of the 21st century. 

Participating universities 

This year’s edition brings together students from IE Law School, alongside teams from internationally renowned institutions including Bucerius Law School, Università Bocconi, Maastricht University, Tilburg University, University of Amsterdam, Católica Global School of Law, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, and Universidad Espíritu Santo. 

The geographic and academic diversity of participating universities reinforces the international scope of the competition and encourages a plural, cross-border approach to the legal challenges under analysis. 

Competition structure 

The competition unfolds in two phases. In the first stage, teams work remotely to analyse the case, legal materials, and audiovisual content provided by the organisation. Based on this analysis, participants must develop a legal proposal that integrates comparative law, regulatory analysis, and strategic thinking. 

The finalist teams advance to a second, in-person phase held in Madrid, where they present their solutions before a jury composed of academic experts and legal practitioners. This final stage assesses not only technical legal knowledge, but also argumentative skills, clarity of presentation, and the practical application of law in complex and highly competitive environments. 

This year’s case: regulating digital competition 

The 2026 case focuses on the regulation of competition in digital markets, one of the most pressing challenges currently facing regulators and policymakers worldwide. Through a fictional dispute between two technology platforms—one a major U.S.-based company and the other an emerging European player—participants examine key issues related to competition law, data protection, digital contracts, and the impact of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. 

Developed by IE Law School professor Lazar Radic, the case is presented through an audiovisual format that recreates real-world business and regulatory scenarios. This approach requires students to compare European and U.S. legal frameworks and to assess how legal decisions directly shape innovation, market dynamics, and corporate strategy. 

Comparative Law in Action 

With Comparative Law in Action, IE Law School reinforces its commitment to a legal education closely aligned with professional reality—one in which law is understood as a strategic tool for operating in a global, digital, and constantly evolving ecosystem. The competition now wishes all participating teams the very best of luck.