The University of Houston Law Center student-team comprised of Rebecca Heaton (L) and Katelynn Nichols (R) after winning the top prize at the 2025 First Tri-Law School Negotiation Competition.
May 20, 2025 – University of Houston Law Center students Rebecca Heaton and Katelynn Nichols recently won the top prize at the inaugural 2025 Tri-Law School Negotiation Competition. The competition was held with two virtual rounds over Zoom and a championship at South Texas Law on April 11.
South Texas hosted the student-run competition to allow students to develop their negotiation skills. Three schools — South Texas Law, Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and the UH Law Center — participated with two students from each.
“[Alternative Dispute Resolution] has helped me develop my skills as an advocate,” said Heaton, a third-year law student who hopes to have a career in family law. “The vast majority of disputes settle outside of court, either through mediation or through a negotiated settlement. Therefore, it was very important to me that I learn how to advocate outside of the courtroom too.”
Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR, consists of negotiation and mediation techniques used to resolve disputes outside of traditional courtrooms. The students used core ADR principles to win this competition, emphasizing their collaboration and creative solutions.
“[We can] find other ways to meet the clients' different interests,” said Heaton. “I think that approaching negotiations with that mindset helps set the tone for the conversation. However, it was also important for us to understand when not to make concessions and articulate better alternatives.”
Heaton is able to use her new ADR skills in every facet of life. “Whether it's buying a new car or figuring out holiday plans or picking a restaurant for dinner, negotiations are everywhere, even if we don't realize it!” she said.
For Nichols, a second-year student, teamwork played a huge role in the students' win. “The best part about most negotiation competitions is having a partner,” she said. “My partner and I were able to work together during a time crunch to create a better outcome than I could have ever achieved on my own.”
“I transferred to UHLC to get hands on experiences through classes and organizations like ADR,” said Nichols, who aspires to go into real estate law. “I wanted to be part of a law school that emphasized practical learning and gave me access to real world skill development.”
The UHLC ADR team strives to apply their knowledge to national and international competitions such as this one. “[ADR] pushes you to grow as an individual and makes law school an enjoyable experience,” Nichols said. “I would encourage every student to get involved in the program.”
Megan Daic (J.D.’13), the ADR team director coached the winning team alongside coach and new assistant ADR team director Cawlyn Robinson (J.D.’22).
“This victory is a testament to the strength and continued growth of UHLC’s commitment to excellence in advocacy,” said Daic. “As [ADR] continues to gain prominence in the legal field, competitions like this provide essential training grounds for the next generation of problem-solvers. We are grateful to our colleagues at South Texas College of Law for hosting this inaugural event, and we look forward to building on this momentum in future competitions.”
