First Rutgers Law Negotiation Competition Held in Newark

Rutgers Law held its inaugural Negotiation Competition in Newark. Eight student teams engaged in mock negotiation sessions before a panel of experienced Alternative Dispute Resolution practitioners and judges. Andrew Rossner, Associate Dean for Professional and Skills Education in Newark, organized and ran the November competition as its competition director.

Second-year students Maya Zabari and Abby Lashbrook emerged as the winners after two rounds. Third-year students Anthony Calabro and Adam Heba finished in second place, while third place went to second-year students Nour Elga and Shahab Alhadad.

The competitors were each assigned sides of a commercial dispute and then attempted to resolve the issues to their client's benefit through negotiations. The problem involved negotiating a revision of a contract between a manufacturing company and a shipping company relating to the shipment of products. The negotiation happened after a problem with a recent shipment that resulted in products being ruined in shipment. This called into question the current contract terms. Teams representing each side attempted to negotiate the contract revision. Each team had been given a common set of facts as well as a confidential set of facts known only to their side.

Before the negotiation sessions, each team presented their negotiation strategy confidentially to the judges. After the negotiation round, each team presented a self-evaluation of their strategy and negotiation tactics confidentially to the judges.  Teams were evaluated on their strategy, their negotiation skills, and their self-evaluation.

Evaluators were judges, alumni, members of the Bar and adjunct professors including Hon. Ellen Koblitz, Hon. Bradley Ferencz, Amy Bard, Philip Neuer, Dillon Mcguire ’16, and Anthony DelGuercio. The Moot Court Board assisted in organizing and running the competition.