Student teams from 13 countries across Europe, Asia, and North America will participate in the second International Legathon MaxUP competition. The large-scale legal case championship will take place on April 3–4 this year at Maqsut Narikbayev University.
The theme of International Legathon MaxUP 2026 is Law of the Future. The student competition carries particular significance during the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, declared by the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The contest is supported by the international law firm Baker McKenzie, the Astana International Financial Centre Court, and the Chamber of Legal Consultants Kazakhstan Bar Association.
International Legathon MaxUP serves as a unique platform for students and young professionals to demonstrate their expertise, exchange experience, and propose relevant solutions to legal challenges. During the competition, participants will explore the impact of emerging technologies on legislation, legal principles, ethics, and human rights. Teams will also work on real-world legal cases related to AI, digital compliance, and cross-border regulation.
The competition will be held in both Russian and English leagues. It has generated significant interest among law students worldwide, with the number of participating countries more than three times.
Teams from leading universities in Azerbaijan, Germany, Georgia, India, Canada, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Russia, Romania, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka have qualified to participate. The selection stage lasted three months. Additionally, organizers will fully cover expenses for more than half of the participants.
For reference, the first International Legathon MaxUP, featuring teams from four countries, was held in April last year. The event was dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Honorary Rector of MNU, statesman and public figure Maqsut Narikbayev. The winners were students from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia.