Thursday, June 4, 2026
When people think “lawyer,” perhaps they see someone presenting the facts of a case to a courtroom for a judge and jury. Liberty University School of Law prepares students for these court-facing experiences with various competition opportunities for students, including its award-winning Trial Team and Moot Court Board. But one often overlooked aspect of lawyering skills involves what goes on outside the courtroom. In fact, some of the most important advocacy relies on litigation prevention and settlement. This type of advocacy is called alternative dispute resolution, and Liberty Law intentionally prepares its students to excel in this sphere.
Visiting Associate Professor of Law David Gilbert is the faculty advisor and coach for the ADR Board at Liberty Law. He mentors and serves students in ADR competition preparation, which ranges from negotiation research to client counseling strategies. Dr. Yuri Mantilla also plays a central role in Liberty Law’s ADR Program. “The Law School’s ADR teams were highly successful when I left the Law School in 2012,” Gilbert said. “But the ADR program now far exceeds what we had back then. Now, our teams compete in more competitions and in a greater variety of competitions. The students are also far more involved in preparing other students to compete.”
As we close this academic year, Liberty Law would like to highlight the success of its students in ADR for this academic year:
ABA Regional Negotiations
2Ls John Miller and Pamela Manning – Regional Champion
Tulane Professional Football Negotiations
3L Zoeanne Missner and 2L Nicholas Hayes – Champion
ABA Regional Client Counseling
3L Zoeanne Missner and 2L Timothy Perry O’Connor – Regional Champion
Duke Interscholastic Transactional Law Competition
2Ls Pamela Manning and Megan Wenger – 2nd Place
Brooklyn Athlete Endorsement Negotiations
3L Matthew Williams and 2L Nicholas Hayes –Semi-Finalists
Syracuse Transatlantic International Negotiation Competition
3L Arielle Knight and 2L Gracie Carter – Quarter Finalists
ABA Regional Negotiations
3Ls Zoeanne Missner and Nathanael King – 5th place
3Ls William Blankschaen and Arielle Knight – 7th place
Houston Triathlon Competition
3Ls Arielle Knight and Zoeanne Missner – 2nd in mediation
3Ls Arielle Knight and Zoeanne Missner – 5th in client counseling
2L John Miller and 3L Arielle Knight – 9th in negotiation
ABA Regional Mediations
2Ls Megan Wenger and Mackenzie Voiles – 3rd place
3L Arielle Knight and 2L Hannah Davis – 6th place
ABA Regional Client Counseling
3L Faith Dellinger and 2L Mackenzie Voiles – 4th place
The following Liberty Law students also participated in various competitions:
ABA Nationals Negotiations
2Ls John Miller and Pamela Manning
ABA National Client Counseling
3L Zoeanne Missner and 2L Timothy Perry O’Connor
Calcutta University International Mediation
2Ls Megan Wenger and Hannah Davis
Cardozo CINEMA Entertainment Negotiations
2L Holt Teague and 3L Alexa Lugo
2Ls Skylar McCann and Timothy Perry O’Connor
Tulane Pro Football Negotiations
3Ls Matthew Williams and Myiah Scott
William and Mary Negotiations
2Ls Timothy Perry O’Connor and Briley Boan
2Ls Jerry Finney and Ava Anderson
Liberty Law is thankful for its wonderful students who have invested their time and efforts into these competitions, the faculty and staff who have guided them along the way, and the incredible growth of the program that allows students to participate in more competition opportunities. Professor Gilbert noted that “Our students continue to hold their own against any team they meet, and the Law School remains firmly committed to helping our students learn through competition.”
For more information about the ADR Board and its competitions, please visit our website.