A team of four University of Wisconsin Law School students has been invited to compete in the inaugural American Bar Association (ABA) Law Student Division's Arbitration Competition in November at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Michelle Words and Starlette Harris will act as the team's attorneys, while Nina McIntyre and Yatanya Thompson will participate as witnesses. All four will be third-year students in the fall.

Adjunct professor William Houlihan, an arbitrator for the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission and instructor of the Collective Bargaining and Arbitration classes at UW Law, will serve as the team's coach.

The competition, which simulates an arbitration hearing, was created to provide law students with arbitration education and training and to promote excellence in arbitration advocacy.  It is co-sponsored by the National Arbitration Forum.

The Arbitration Competition Subcommittee will release the competition case file at the beginning of September.  Students will compete in the preparation and presentation of professional and competent arbitration cases based on the prepared fact scenario.  Their cases will include opening statements, witness examinations, exhibit introductions, evidentiary presentations and witness summations. 

Two of the participating students have successfully represented UW Law School in national competitions.  Starlette Harris became a semi-finalist at the 2005 Black Law Students Association (BLSA) Regional Mock Trial Competition and Michelle Words was a quarterfinalist at the 2005 National BLSA Regional Moot Court Competition.

Submitted by on July 26, 2005

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