Stetson University College of Law is the first American Bar Association Competitions Champion
Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, has been named the first American Bar Association Competitions Champion. The ABA Law Student Division hosts four practical skills competitions—the arbitration, negotiation, client counseling and national appellate advocacy competitions. The Competitions Champion Award is presented to the law school that accrues the most points through team achievements and participation in the ABA Law Student Division’s four practical skills competitions. In 2018, more than 1,300 students from 156 law schools participated in one or more of these competitions.
For the first time in its 17-year history, Stetson’s Dispute Resolution Board achieved a perfect four-for-four record of advancing to nationals in all four dispute resolution competitions sponsored by the ABA—arbitration, client counseling, mediation, and negotiation—competitions that represent all the areas in which the Dispute Resolution Board competes. Stetson University College of Law is the first school to achieve this distinction. Stetson teams advanced to nationals from regional ABA championships in arbitration and negotiation in November of 2017, client counseling and mediation in February of 2018.
Stetson Law students Jahanna Azarian and Vanessa Denk finished as national semifinalists at the national client counseling competition and placed first at the regional competition. Students Allison Belanger and Christina Huckfeldt finished as national semifinalists in the national negotiation competition after being finalists at the regional competition. Students Max Brown, Caroline Garrity, Olivia Mejido and Meghan Sullivan placed first at the regional arbitration competition. Students Julia Alley and Mark Joseph finished first at the regional mediation competition.
“We are delighted to be recognized by the preeminent organization of our nation’s lawyers. Importantly, these skills are the foundation on which our students will build their professional careers to effectively represent clients and advocate for our communities,” Stetson Law Dean and Professor of Law Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz told the ABA.
(L-R): Ava Baumgartner, Vanessa Denk, Julia Alley, Jahanna Azarian, Caroline Garrity, Meghan Sullivan, Brooks Robinson, Martin Musichi, Olivia Mejido and Dale Tan. Photo by Brian Vandervliet.
Post date: May 23, 2018
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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