Alternative Dispute Resolution

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Because courts increasingly rely on and even require some form of ADR to prevent or settle litigation, it’s important that students take the opportunity to sharpen these critical skills while in law school. The ADR Board at Liberty University School of Law is committed to excellence in the areas of negotiation, mediation, and client counseling. They successfully compete in state, national, and international competitions.

Join this student-run co-curricular organization where you’ll get valuable legal skills and build your resume.

Get Involved

Contact:

Professor Joel Hesch
(434) 592-5300 jhesch@liberty.edu

Purpose

  • Train students in the use of promotion, and practice of negotiation, mediation, and client counseling
  • Develop, facilitate, and administer intramural and interscholastic negotiation, mediation, and client counseling competitions
  • Select students, with the assistance of the faculty, to represent Liberty University School of Law in interscholastic negotiation, mediation, and client counseling competitions
  • Assist faculty in research and development of material for use in classroom instruction, extracurricular training, and activities in the area of alternative dispute resolution
  • Assist the faculty in the training of law students in the skills of alternative dispute resolution

Competitions

Each year, the ADR Board attends competitions in negotiations, mediation, and client counseling. The ADR Board also hosts a national negotiation tournament.

The ADR Board is quickly developing a national reputation for winning competitions like the following:

  • Negotiations ABA Regional
  • National Basketball
  • National Environmental Law
  • National Entertainment Law

Our teams always excel in the areas they participate in, and they represent Liberty University School of Law with excellence. Winning many competitions over the past several years, our students have proved they are prepared for their future careers as legal professionals.

  • 2024
    • ABA Atlantic Regional Mediation Competition Winner
    • ABA National Mediation Competition – Finalists
    • ABA National Negotiation Competition Winner
    • ABA Regional Negotiation Competition Winner
    • Brooklyn Law School Athlete Endorsement Negotiation Competition Winner
    • Clara Barton International Humanitarian Law Competition – Spirit of Clara Barton Award
    • William & Mary Law School Negotiation Tournament – Semi-Finalists
  • 2023
    • ABA Mediation National Competition – 3rd Place
    • ABA Mediation Regional Competition Winner
    • ABA National Client Counseling Competition – 4th Place
  • 2022
    • University of Mississippi’s Magnolia Cup Negotiations Tournament – Third Place
    • Eighth Annual Tulane Professional Football Negotiations Competition – Quarterfinalists
  • 2021
    • National Basketball Negotiation Competition Winner
    • National Entertainment Law Competition Winner
    • National Environmental Law Competition Winner
    • Fordham National Basketball Negotiation Best Advocate Award Winner
    • Internal Transatlantic Negotiation Competition Winner
    • International Transatlantic Negotiation Best American Advocate Award Winner
    • International Transatlantic Negotiation Best Teamwork Award Winner
    • 1L Internal Negotiation Competition Winner
    • ABA Regional Negotiations Competition – Fifth Place
    • ABA Mediation Regional Competition – Fifth Place
    • World Negotiation Competition – Fifth Place
  • 2020
    • ABA National Negotiation Competition – Twelfth Place
  • 2019
    • ABA Regional Negotiation Competition Winner
    • National Environmental Law Competition – Fourth Place
    • Robert R. Merhige National Negotiation Competition – Top Four
    • Liberty 1L Internal Negotiations Competition – Finalists
    • ABA National Negotiation Competition – Eighth Place
  • 2018
    • ABA Regional Negotiation Competition – Third Place
    • NBA National Negotiation Competition – Quarterfinalists
  • 2017
    • ABA Regional Negotiation Competition – Fifth Place
  • 2016
    • William and Mary Law School Negotiation Invitational –  Second Place
    • International Negotiation Competition, Lucerne, Switzerland – Fifth Place
    • National Basketball Negotiation Competition – Champions and Quarterfinalists
    • ABA National Negotiations Tournament Runner-up
    • ABA Regional Negotiation Competition – Fifth and Eighth Place
  • 2015
    • ABA Regional Negotiations Competition – Second Place and Fourth Place
    • ABA 16th Annual Representation in Mediation Regional Competition Champions

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Competitions

  • ABA Regional Negotiation Competition
  • ABA National Negotiation Competition
  • ABA Regional Client Counseling Competition
  • ABA Regional Mediation Competition
  • Robert R. Merhige Jr. National Environmental Negotiation Competition
  • Southwestern Law School Entertainment Law Competition
  • NBLSA International Negotiation Competition
  • Liberty University School of Law National Negotiation Tournament
  • Liberty University School of Law Internal Negotiation Tournament

Participation Requirements

  • A strong desire to learn how to become proficient in negotiations, mediation, or client counseling
  • GPA of at least 2.5

Faculty Leadership

Faculty Advisor and Negotiation Coach, Professor Joel Hesch, (434) 592-5300 jhesch@liberty.edu

ADR Members

  • McCarthy, Gregory ’24
  • Jalil, Jordan ’24
  • Figueroa, Katrina ’24
  • Mason, Magdalene ’24
  • Buchanan, Morgan ’24
  • Hoagland, Cody ’24
  • Davis, Kara ’24
  • Worley, Rachel ’24
  • Fenelus, Chavioleyette ’24
  • Evans, Jace ’24
  • Ellis, Riley ’24
  • Dugwyler, Brent ’24
  • Felder, Katherine ’24
  • Shafer, Ethan ’24
  • Butler, Mekenzie ’24
  • Hatley, Madison ’24
  • Steiner, Nicole ’24
  • Arnold, Kirsten ’24
  • Meloni, Morgan ’24
  • Vargo, Phillip ’24
  • Waugh, Christopher ’24
  • Thomas, David ’24
  • Ferraro, Rachel  ’24
  • Andis, Jonathan ’24
  • Stevens, Leland ’24
  • Armentrout, Austin ’24
  • Barton, Jacob ’24
  • Alvarez-Ferraro, Brian ’24
  • George, Destiny ’24
  • Linder, Rebecca ’24
  • Stevens, Leland ’24
  • Daniel, Hallie ’24
  • Archer, Roniqua ’24
  • Fonseca, Pedro ’25
  • Wilson, Anthony  ’25
  • Knipp, Kataralynn ’25
  • Tucker, Jessica ’25
  • Burton, Mikayla ’25
  • McDowell, Brianna ’25
  • Livingston, Zachary ’25
  • Censoni, Annaclare ’25
  • Mullis, Lillian  ’25
  • Schultzberg, Joseph ’25
  • Lewis, Jacob
  • Key, Olivia ’25
  • Stewart, Meliah ’25
  • Johnson, Jayden ’25
  • Raha, Andrew ’25
  • Leverette, Carter ’25
  • Lambert, Renee ’25
  • Collins, Spencer ’25
  • Saarela, Lauren  ’25
  • Santoyo, Brooke ’25
  • Reeser, Celine
  • Crabtree, Madison ’25
  • Carrabis, John  ’25
  • Hernandez, Bryan ’25
  • Craighead, Alexandria ’25
  • Young, Carson ’25
  • Kimbrough, Karli ’25
  • Pugh, Ashton ’25
  • McNally, Isabelle  ’25
  • Webb, Gavyn ’25
  • Heinze, Charles ’25
  • Marks, Hannah  ’25
  • Wilkie, Charles ’25
  • Grove, Cody ’25
  • Wilkins, Zachary ’25
  • Hamlett, Adam ’25
  • Todd, Hannah ’25
  • Dunio, Bryce ’25