On July 2, Chapman University School of Law opened its doors to law students from all over the world for the annual International Negotiation Competition. Founded in 1998, this exciting competition gives teams the opportunity to represent a hypothetical client and case, and they must  negotiate either an international transaction or the resolution of an international dispute with an opposing team of two law students.

“Negotiation skills are among the most important skills a lawyer uses, and as the world becomes increasingly smaller, with more and more interaction between people of different backgrounds, the chance for young people to meet and get to know people is an eye-opening and enjoyable experience,” mentioned Professor Nancy Schultz, the Director of Competitions and Alternative Dispute Resolution Program at Chapman.

The countries that participated in this year’s International Negotiation Competition included: Singapore, England, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Northern Ireland, the United States, Ireland, Nigeria, Russia, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, India, Indonesia, Scotland, New Zealand, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Each team contributed to the competition in a meaningful way that fostered teamwork and enabled them to practice important lawyering skills. Getting the chance to negotiate with law students from around the globe was just icing on the cake.

At the end of the rigorous three day competition, Le’andre Nsengimana Sangwa and Maria Lux from Germany emerged as the winners. “The cases teach you the importance of researching,” mentioned Maria. “You also have to study your competition.” Le’andre and Maria attributed a lot of their success to their coaches. “The cases are tricky and you must be aware of certain points,” said Le’andre. “My coaches taught me well.”

Because the international law students were visiting during July 4, the Chapman team brought some of their international cohorts to the beach to watch fireworks and partake in a traditional American celebration—Independence Day.

“The Chapman team built lasting relationships with the other competitors,” said Professor David Dowling who helped coach our team. “In fact, many of the international law students expressed interest in attending Chapman for their LL.M.”

Le’andre Nsengimana Sangwa and Maria Lux (center) from Germany

Le’andre Nsengimana Sangwa (second from left) and Maria Lux (third from left) and their coaches