Negotiation Competition
Congratulations to the 2019-20 National Champions, Vanessa Barnett and Tamar Chobanian of Southwestern Law School. Full results»
About the Negotiation Competition
The ABA Law Student Division Negotiation Competition provides a means for law students to practice and improve their negotiating skills. The competition simulates legal negotiations in which law students, acting as lawyers, negotiate a series of legal problems. The simulations consist of a common set of facts known by all participants and confidential information known only to the participants representing a particular side. All of the simulations deal with the same general topic, but the negotiation situation varies with each round and level of the competition.
Contact Competitions with any questions.
2020-21 Topic: Sports Law
Entry Fee:
First Team: $200
Second Team: $175
Third Team: $175 (if space is available)
*All schools may register up to two teams before the registration deadline and may request a third team that will be allowed where space is available. Notices about which requested third teams will be able to compete will be sent out early October. The registration fee for each approved third team will be due within one week of receiving the notification.
2020-21 Negotiation Competition Dates and Locations
Negotiation Problems and Final Round Recordings
Recent problems and final round recordings are also now available at no cost. These resources may be downloaded and shared within your school for educational purposes. Downloadable and viewing links can be found here.
Competition Rules and Guidelines
- 2020-2021 Supplemental Rules
- 2021 Overview of Virtual Negotiation Competition Host Guide
- 2019-20 Negotiation Rules
- 2019-20 Regional Host Guide
- Membership Requirements
Tips for Hosting a Successful Negotiation Regional Competition
Negotiation Competition Winners & Finalists
- 2019-2020 winners and results
- 2018-2019 winners and results
- 2017-2018 winners and results
- 2016-2017 winners and results
- 2015-2016 winners and results
Regional Host Schools Rotation
The Negotiation Competition depends on law schools to host the regional competitions. To create a fair rotation of this responsibility we have created the Host Rotation Schedule and assigned participating schools to upcoming years. Please review this rotation to see when your school is assigned to host. If you cannot host in the year assigned, please contact
erica.zepeda@americanbar….
2017-2022 Negotiation Regional Host Rotation Schedule*
*Schools listed in the rotation schedule are not confirmed hosts.
2020-2021 Host Schools
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Regional Assignments
Each school will receive official notification of its regional assignment in early October. The Law Student Division will use its best efforts to assign each school to its first or second choice. For 2020-21, Since all regionals this year will be held virtually, the usual states assigned to each region will not apply. Preference will be given to teams based on a geographic proximity and a shared time zone with their requested host school.
If the number of teams registered for a particular region does not equal a multiple of four, the ABA Law Student Division reserves the right to move schools to a different region.
Competition Format & Team Composition
A team consists of two JD candidates attending the same ABA-approved law school negotiating on behalf of their client to resolve a dispute or negotiate an agreement. At the regional competitions, each team will compete in two preliminary rounds and the top four teams will advance to the final round. The first place team from each regional competition will advance to the National Finals. Additional invitations may be extended.