Chicago-Kent will advance to the national finals of the 2018 ABA Negotiation Competition

The Chicago-Kent team of Michael Brew '19 and Presley Valenzuela '18 won the ABA Negotiation Competition's Region 7 tournament, held November 10 and 11 at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis. Brew and Valenzuela will join teams from nine other regions at the national finals February 2 and 3, 2018, during the ABA Midyear Meeting in Chicago.

Another Chicago-Kent team excelled at competition. Imani-Ari Asanté '19 and Justin Taylor '19 finished in third place. Twenty teams competed in the regional tournament.

Sponsored by the ABA Law Student Division, the Negotiation Competition promotes greater interest among law students in legal negotiation and provides a means for them to practice and improve their negotiating skills. The competition simulates legal negotiations in which law students, acting as lawyers, negotiate a series of legal problems.

Team member Michael Brew graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Trinity University in San Antonio. Presley Valenzuela earned a B.A. degree in law and society from Purdue University. Justin Taylor graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. in economics. Imani-Ari Asanté majored in political science and government at Purdue University.

The Chicago-Kent teams were coached by alumni and former ADR team members Jennie Balkas '16, Michael Barnes '14, Kevin Doran '15 and LL.M. '17, Gerena Gregory '16, Evelyn Hernandez '16, David McKenzie '14, Rory Quinn '15 and David Springer '17. Professor Jenifer Robbins served as faculty adviser. 

Founded in 1888, Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, a private, technology-focused, research university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, architecture, business, design, human sciences, applied technology, and law.