The 1L Negotiation Competition, held each September and October, allows first year students the opportunity to explore various negotiation styles, while honing their strategic and communication skills. Each round of competition requires two teams of two students each to work out a thorny issue on behalf of their hypothetical clients. The two winning teams of the intramural competition are then provided with personal coaching by a BCLS professor and go on to represent the school at the annual Regional Client Counseling Competition, held at a different law school in October of each year.
Competition Format:
In advance of each round, the teams are provided with a memo outlining the background of the situation, the key facts on their side of the issue, and the negotiating authority granted by their clients. Teams negotiate with each other for 40 minutes, during which either side may request the opportunity to confer privately for up to five minutes. There are several weekly elimination rounds, culminating in a final round of four teams, two of which go on to the regional competition.
Role of Attorney-Judges:
Attorney-judges observe two one-hour rounds of competition in an evening, providing feedback to the teams, ranking them on elements of their performances, and ultimately choosing a winning pair to move on to the next round.
Evaluation Criteria:
Teams are evaluated on their ability to elicit useful information from the other side, to overcome obstacles to mutual agreement, to propose creative solutions to the problem, and to work together as a team.
Materials for 2006-2007 Participants
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