Competition Teams
Practical experience that will lead to exceptional success.
At Creighton University School of Law, we give you opportunities to put theory into practice—through hands-on experiences such as externships, study abroad programs, and student organizations. Another critical way to gain experience is by joining our competitive teams. You’ll sharpen your skills and demonstrate to your future employers that you have the abilities—and the experience—it takes to be an effective attorney, right out of law school.
Contact
Kendra Fershée
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
402.280.3090
Arbitration Competition
The ABA Law Student Division Arbitration Competition promotes greater knowledge in arbitration by simulating a realistic arbitration hearing. You’ll prepare and present an arbitration case, including opening statements, witness examinations, exhibit introductions, evidentiary presentations and summations. You’ll sharpen your oral and written advocacy skills and experience what it’s like to be a professional, competent and ethical advocate. Only third-year students enrolled in Arbitration & Trial Law Theory may compete. The coaches are Professors R. Collin Mangrum and Larry Teply. Tryouts are held in the spring semester of your second year.
The Werner Institute sponsors this competition team.
Client Counseling Competition
The ABA Law Student Client Counseling Competition simulates a law office consultation. You’ll be part of a two-person team, engaged in an initial consultation with a “client” about whom you have limited information. Judges will access your team’s knowledge of the law and your ability to ask the right questions and elicit important information. Professor Larry Teply coaches the 2L and 3L teams.
The Werner Institute sponsors this competition team.
Mediation Competition
Creighton Law’s mediation teams attend the InterNational Alternative Dispute Resolution (INADR) Mediation tournament, which is designed to help law students better understand the mediation process and its importance to law practice. The competition encourages students to work with their competition to reach a solution, rather than competing at every turn. The teams are comprised of three students. In each round, one student participates as a mediator and the other two as an advocate/client. In the preliminary rounds, each student must act as a mediator, advocate, and client. Each round includes co-mediators who are from different schools. There is also an advocate/client team representing each side. The co-mediators and the advocate/client are all from other schools. Co-mediators don’t mediate for their own schools in any rounds. Professors Larry Teply and Rachel Goedken coach the team consisting of 2L and 3Ls.
The Werner Institute sponsors this competition team.
Moot Court
Moot Court participation with the writing professors is mandatory during the first semester of your second year in law school. Moot court involves appellate cases as opposed to those at the trial level. You’ll do research, write appellate briefs, and present oral arguments to judges. Judges will ask you questions throughout your presentation so you need to have a profound understanding of the facts of the case, your arguments, and your opponents’ arguments. Moot Court will help you become more comfortable formulating and expressing arguments before judges—essential skills for any attorney. And you’ll demonstrate to future employers that you can put in the many hours necessary to perfect legal analytics, research and writing skills.
Creighton teams also compete in:
- National Moot Court Tournament, sponsored by the New York City Bar Association, is coached by Professors Daniel Real and Kristine Cote. Only third year students may participate. Prerequisite: LRWIII, “B” grade in brief and quarterfinal level in LRWIII Moot Court; or coach’s permission.
- Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition sponsored by the International Trademark Association and coached by Professor Craig Dallon. Second- and third-years students may tryout during the fall semester.
- Pace Environmental Moot Court Competition, is open to 2L and 3L students. It is held at Pace University School of Law, Westchester, NY.
- Jessup International Moot Court Competition, coached by Professor Patrick Borchers. Second- and third-year students may try out for the team.
Moot Court at Creighton
National Trial Competition
The National Trial Competition, established by the Texas Young Lawyers Association in 1975, is designed to expose you to the nature of trial practice and serve as a supplement to your education. It was founded to encourage and strengthen students’ advocacy skills through quality competition and valuable interaction with members of the bench and bar. Professor R. Collin Mangrum coaches third-year students in Advanced Trial Practice. Tryouts are held in the spring semester of your 2L year.
Negotiation Competition
Being proficient in negotiation is an important skillset for all lawyers, no matter what area of practice you pursue. Quality client representation requires that you’re able to negotiate contracts, settlements and other agreements. The ABA Law Student Division Negotiation Competition will help you build these essential skills by providing a forum to negotiate under time constraints and in an area of law with which you may not be familiar. A negotiation competition will help you practice and improve your negotiating skills. This competition simulates legal negotiations during which you’ll act as a lawyer, negotiating 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. Professors Larry Teply and David Weber coach 2L and 3L teams.
The Werner Institute sponsors this competition team.
Trial Advocacy Competition
The American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition is an annual nationwide mock trial competition that gives you the opportunity to develop and practice your trial advocacy skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench. It is designed to expose you to the nature of trial practice and to serve as a supplement to your legal education. Professor R. Collin Mangrum coaches 3L students in Advanced Trial Practice. Tryouts are held in the fall semester.
In addition, each year Creighton School of Law is invited to attend and compete in a number of trial competitions, including the Buffalo-Niagara Mock Trial Competition and the National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition, frequently coached by Professor Ken Melilli.
The connections I made with judges and attorneys will carry far beyond the competition. Being able to showcase my abilities and also recieve feedback was something that I’ll never forget.
— James Olsen, second-year law student
