The McGeorge Negotiation Team teaches students to resolve legal disputes without litigation. Unlike moot court or mock trial, where students learn to argue to a court or a jury, negotiation training prepares them to deal directly with opposing counsel. Negotiators learn to think like chess players, speak like diplomats, and use strategy and interpersonal skills to reach settlements with their counterparties that satisfy both sides with the added benefits of avoiding the stress, delays, and financial burden of going to trial.
Every year, teams from over 200 law schools nationwide meet to compete in the ABA's 10 regional negotiation competitions, with problems drawn from a wide range of topics. Each team of two students negotiates with a two-person team from another school in front of judges who assess their ability to work together and with the opposing team, to reach an agreement that maximizes their clients' interests, and to assess their own performance at the end of the negotiation.
The top teams in each region are invited to compete in the Negotiation Finals in Chicago — and the winners of the national competition are invited to an international tournament with teams from countries around the world. McGeorge teams have qualified for the national competition several times in recent years, once placing third in the nationals and once winning and going to the international competition – where it won again!
Tryouts
Team tryouts are held in the spring. Prospective members must have completed their first year of legal studies. At tryouts, we select eight members, more or less, and practice weekly during the fall semester. After working together for several weeks, team members choose four of their number to compete in the Fall Regional (we take two teams of two members each). We repeat the process for the Spring Regional. Team members not only learn crucial skills but make great friends and great memories along the way. We hope to see you at tryouts!
Questions?
Professor Claudia Wrazel
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