During a typical year, about four lecturers – distinguished scholars or practitioners, representatives of an international organization or government, high-ranking in-house counsel of large companies – are invited to give a lecture to the class. Students are expected to react critically to the presentation by researching the topic before the lecture and engaging in a constructive debate during the hour-long discussion following the presentation.

During the academic year 2010-2011, the following lectures were organized:

• 1 December 2010: Prof. George A. Bermann, Walter Gellhorn Professor and Jean Monnet Professor at Columbia Law School, Lecture on "Restatement on International Commercial Arbitration"
  Watch video of Prof. Bermann's lecture
• 29 September 2010: Prof. William W. Park, Professor of Law at Boston University, MIDS Inaugural Lecture 2010 on "Arbitration in Autumn"
  Watch video of Prof. Park's lecture

During the academic year 2009-2010, the following lectures were organized:

• 28 September 2009: Prof. Emmanuel Gaillard, University of Paris XII, on the representations of international arbitration
  Watch video of Prof. Gaillard's lecture
• Mr Doak Bishop, King & Spalding, on energy arbitrations
• Prof. Campbell McLachlan, Victoria University of Wellington, on lis pendens in international litigation
• Judge Mohamed Bennouna, International Court of Justice, on international justice and politics
• Dr Yas Banifatemi, Shearman & Sterling, on MFN clauses in investment arbitration
• Prof. Pierre Lalive, Honorary Professor of Geneva University; Lalive & Partners; Member of the Institute of International Law, on some of the famous arbitration cases in which he was involved

During the academic year 2008-2009, the following lectures were organized:

• 1 October 2008: Prof. James Crawford, University of Cambridge, on the proliferation of international dispute settlement mechanisms
  Watch video of Prof. Crawford's lecture
• 26 November 2008: Mr David Rivkin, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York and London, on sports arbitration at the Beijing Olympics (Mr Rivkin acted as arbitrator at the Olympics)
  Watch video of Mr. Rivkin's lecture
• Prof. John Gotanda, Villanova University School of Law, on interest or damages in international arbitration
• Prof. Pierre Lalive, Honorary Professor of Geneva University; Lalive & Partners; Member of the Institute of International Law, on some of the famous arbitration cases in which he was involved