OU Law Hosts ABA Regional Arbitration Competition; Team Advances to National Finals

The OU College of Law recently hosted 10 law school teams from around the country for the regional round of the American Bar Association Law Student Division Arbitration Competition. More than 40 OU Law alumni and other experienced practitioners served as judges for the competition, which simulates a realistic arbitration hearing.

The OU Law team of Jourdan Johnson, Armando Melendez, Laura Waddill, and Fox Whitworth won the regional, qualifying them for the national competition in Chicago in January! The other OU Law team of Maddie Martin, Dakota Parish, Blake Toellner, and Alex Velarde made it to the final four round. Both teams are coached by Prof. Rebekah Taylor. The team from Drake University Law School placed second overall.

The 10 teams competing in the regional were from six law schools: Creighton University School of Law, Drake University Law School, Samford University Cumberland School of Law, the University of Florida Levin College of Law, the University of Houston Law Center, and OU Law.

The ABA Law Student Division Arbitration Competition promotes greater knowledge in arbitration by simulating a realistic arbitration hearing. Participants prepare and present an arbitration case, including opening statements, witness examinations, exhibit introductions, evidentiary presentations and summations.

This year’s hypothetical problem involved allegations of personal injury and negligence in a nursing home.

The OU College of Law is nationally known as a top law school for competitions and moot court. OU Law finished its 2017-2018 competition season with three national championships, and the college placed fifth out of 156 law schools nationwide in the ABA’s inaugural Competitions Championship. For the last two years, OU Law has secured a spot in the top 5 law schools in the country for moot court by the Blakely Advocacy Institute.