UNAIR NEWS – The Garutan team from the Faculty of Law Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) wins third place at the Olimpus PLEADS legal opinion competition held by Universitas Padjadjaran. The team climbed up the rankings from the preliminary round to finish third in the final, held Friday to Sunday, October 2–4, 2026. In the national-level competition, the team built a consistent argument from document submission to presentation.
The team consists of three Faculty of Law students from the class of 2024: Dessy Liskawati, Crisya Octaviany Kansil, and Putu Dian Kirana Resya. Liskawati said the team entered the competition to hone their practical skills beyond the classroom.
“This legal opinion competition gives us a real learning space to prepare a comprehensive legal opinion from start to finish,” Liskawati said.
Merger and acquisition dispute
In the competition, organizers presented a case involving a merger and acquisition dispute between companies, touching on corporate law and financial services regulations. The UNAIR Faculty of Law team represented a limited liability company facing unilateral contract termination by an investor over alleged breach of agreement.
In response, the team chose a strategy of acknowledging the facts without undermining the client’s position. “We argued that the breach was technical and still within a correctable range, so the investor’s unilateral termination had no strong legal basis,” Liskawati explained.
Consistency as the key
According to the team, the main strength of their legal opinion rested on the consistency among facts, legal foundations, and supporting arguments. They maintained consistency in both the written submission and the final presentation. How the team defended its arguments was the judges’ main scoring indicator.
They began drafting in July and submitted their written submission in August. The preliminary round coincided with the semester break, so the team worked online. They overcame the challenges of long-distance communication by understanding each other’s circumstances.
The results were announced in late September, followed by the final round in early October. The team divided the five issues in the case among its members. Each member took full responsibility for delivering the best answer on their assigned issue.
Eyeing legal writing
The team admitted it did not expect this result. Looking ahead, the team wants to try legal writing competitions. “In the preliminary round, our written submission had the lowest score, but in the final we managed to reach third place,” Liskawati said.
According to the team, law students must have this skill. The team also shares tips for other students who want to excel in legal opinion competitions. “Find teammates who understand each other, support each other, and always give their best,” Liskawati said.
Author: Nabila Afifah Abida
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
