King Hall Students Win First Place at Regional ABA Client Counseling Competition

Posted By Oscar Orozco-Botello, Feb 9, 2015

Thanks to skillful displays of advocacy, the team of Samantha Mandell ’16 and Andrew Alfonso ’15 won first place at the Regional ABA Client Counseling Competition hosted by the University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law on February 7 and 8. 

In the competition, two-person teams interviewed clients played by actors. During the rounds, advocates had to elicit facts, advise on the pertinent law, provide options, and assist the client in making informed decisions.

Mandell and Alfonso advanced to the final round, where they were victorious over the other highly qualified teams from Santa Clara and Chapman. 

By winning first place, Mandell and Alfonso have qualified for the National Finals in mid-March.  

The competitors look forward to the challenge and the privilege of representing King Hall in the next stage of competition. They would like to thank King Hall Negotiations Team (KHNT) External Competitions Chair Amanda Baratz, who graciously donated her time and coordinated practice rounds with the rest of the team and other volunteers from the law school.

Mandell and Alfonso would also like to thank Professor Donna Shestowsky for her guidance and help before the competition. Lastly, the competitors would like to thank the Dean’s Office for its support of the King Hall Negotiations Team.