Every fall, Moritz students compete in the intramural Lawrence Negotiation Competition, named for James K. L. Lawrence ’65. The winners and runners-up in this week-long competition move on to Regional and National Negotiations Competitions conducted by the American Bar Association.   

During the competition, teams of two law students working as advocates for a fictitious client negotiate against one another. They are judged on their ability to work together, establish rapport with the opposing team, and maximize the interests of their client. Every team competes in the first two rounds, after which the competition becomes single elimination. 

This year’s competition winners reflected on their participation and shared their thoughts.  

1st Place: Alex Samons and Kaylin Shackelford 

The 2023 Lawrence Competition was not only the first time 3Ls Alex Samons and Kaylin Shackelford competed together – it was also the first time they had formally met. The two were randomly paired together and ended up making a great team. 

They came into the competition wanting to sharpen their negotiation skills.  

“I knew that a large number of students would be participating, and I wanted to experience hands on negotiation with fellow classmates that I knew would challenge me and help me to grow into a better negotiator,” Samons said. 

Shackelford added, “The prospect of entering the workforce without ever having taken part in a true negotiation was a bit scary to me. Getting a lot of reps in through the competition has made me more confident in my negotiation skills and more comfortable even facing new challenges.” 

The feedback they received from fellow competing teams and the judges was invaluable, and the two are looking forward to applying it to future negotiations. As they move ahead to the regional competition, they’re looking forward to continuing to work together and honing their skills further. 

“It is such an honor to have won the Lawrence Competition, and I hope we can continue to have success in the regional competition,” Samons shared. “Regardless of outcome, though, I already feel so fulfilled with the knowledge I gained from that experience.” 

2nd Place: Lexi Breitenstine and Abby Counts 

Lexi Breitenstine and Abby Counts, both 3Ls, competed together in the 2022 Lawrence Competition and won. After they were unable to compete at the regional competition, they wanted to come back this year. 

The pair was first inspired to compete after a great experience during their study abroad program.  

“We both took Business Negotiations in a Global Environment with Professor Katrina Lee during our Oxford summer program, and we realized that we make a great negotiation team by balancing each other’s strengths,” Breitenstine shared.  

As they’ve grown as a team and as negotiators, they feel well-prepared for their futures in the legal profession.  

“The Lawrence Negotiation Competition at Moritz provides students the opportunity to experiment with different negotiation strategies in a low-stakes environment,” said Counts. “It has made me more confident about communicating with others when there are confusing and contentious circumstances.” 

Moving on to the regional competition again, the team is looking forward to meeting students from other schools, receiving additional feedback from practiced negotiators, and continuing to cultivate their negotiation skills.  

3rd Place: Alexandra Goss and Cooper Karras 

This was the first year 3Ls Alexandra Goss and Cooper Karras competed, and the first time as teammates. They initially joined the competition due to a requirement for their negotiation courses, but they chose to stay in it because they were genuinely enjoying themselves. 

“We both had similar competitive desires to have a great learning experience and flex our new legal negotiation skills,” Karras said 

The pair agreed that they learned the value of having a great teammate in negotiations. They were able to coordinate their responses and play off each other’s movements. 

“This taught me not only that having a creative strategy can be effective, but strategizing beforehand on the best way to execute the plan is essential to success,” Goss shared.  

Both Goss and Karras plan to go into litigation, so their involvement in the competition has prepared them well for the future. 

“The competition has helped me strengthen my negotiation skills by providing me the opportunity to practice against multiple groups with a variety of objectives,” said Goss.  

Karras added, “Experiences like the Lawrence Competition are foundational in beginning the journey to being a successful practitioner.”