An Albany Law School student team has won the American Bar Association Negotiations Regional Competition over 23 other teams from 10 schools.Seamus Michael Keating ’12 and Jonathan McCardle ’13 were one of four teams to advance to the second day of the two-day event on Nov. 13, hosted at Albany Law for the first time in 11 years. They faced a team from Cardozo School of Law before moving on to the finals and winning the entire competition Sunday evening.
The two students advance to the national competition in New Orleans, La., on Feb. 3-4, 2012.Practicing attorneys, including Albany Law alumni, served as judges. Grades were based upon legal analysis, poise, creativity, communication and negotiation skills.
Professor Nancy Maurer and Professor Jenean Taranto served as faculty advisors to the two teams, and Mark Kittel '13 coached Albany Law’s two teams - Jessica Cherry ’12 and James Gundlach ’13 also represented Albany Law School.
Erin Mastrodonato '12, chair of the ABA Negotiation Competition, and Abby Brinkerhoff '13 planned and ran the two-day competition.
Law schools competing in the competition included:
The competition is intended to promote greater interest among law students in legal negotiations and provides a means for them to practice and improve their negotiating skills. Students simulate legal negotiations by acting as lawyers and operating in teams of two to negotiate opposing interest in a series of legal problems.