Our arbitration team, Lily Chan, Jamie Izlar, Brandon Edwards, and Samantha Thomas, competed in the ABA Student Division National Arbitration Competition regionals at Creighton this past weekend. 

Samantha and Brandon competed twice against Chapman. Chapman is known nationally for the competitiveness of its arbitration teams, and one of its teams won the nationals in the arbitration competition last year.  True to their reputation, these teams ranked first and second after the first two rounds, and Samantha and Brandon held their own against them.  Here are some of the comments Samantha and Brandon received.  Brandon did a "good job arguing [his] position" at the outset of the opening and "bringing out the facts of" his witness's position with a "good organized direct." Samantha did a good job in her closing "arguing [her] perspective" and using a "good theme."  She also "asked good questions" and "addressed some problems with the case head-on" and made her witness "real and sensitive" on direct examination.  

Lily and Jamie competed in the second round.  They performed very well, and one of the three arbitrators voted for them.  Jamie was praised for her good delivery, for knowing the record well, for organizing her opening and direct well, and for her leading technique on cross.  Lily was praised by one arbitrator for "a very good summation," "very good direct questions," and a "good job" on cross examination.  One arbitrator provided each of them with a score of "superior" for the category of professional and ethical presentations.