A team of two undergraduate Law students from the University of Kent will represent England in the International Negotiation Competition 2015 after winning the national Negotiation Competition in London.
Kent team Olutomiwa (Tomi) Popoola and Sean Wells beat hosts University College London (UCL) to claim the title of best student negotiators in the country in the final of the national Negotiation Competition on Saturday 21 March. Sponsored by CEDR (the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution), the prestigious competition is designed to develop an increasingly important skill for legal practice amongst future lawyers.
The national final saw 12 student teams compete in three different negotiations in front of a panel of judges consisting of academics, legal practitioners, former winners and qualified CEDR mediators and Negotiation experts. In winning the competition, Sean and Tomi will now have the honour of representing England as they compete in the International Negotiation Competition 2015 in Dublin in July.
Tomi and Sean were selected to represent Kent after their performance in the Law School’s own Negotiation Module; one of two non-credit bearing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) modules that have been running at the School since 2010 (the second being in Mediation). Both extracurricular modules provide an introduction to the skills required to resolve legal disputes without recourse to litigation, with students developing practical skills through participation in workshops and competitions.
Negotiation Module convenor Janie Clement-Walker said: ‘I am very proud of Sean and Tomi who worked extremely hard leading up to both the regional and final competitions. I am also very proud of all the students who take the opportunity these modules offer to enhance their future careers.
‘Seeing students gain confidence in their practical and oral skills through participation in the modules is wonderfully rewarding – both for the students themselves, and for those who teach them.’
Professor Didi Herman, Head of Kent Law School (KLS), said: ‘This is a fantastic achievement for our students, and also for the School’s Negotiation programme, run by Janie Clement-Walker. We know KLS students are amongst the best in the UK, and it is great to see their hard work and talent recognised nationally.’
The Kent team advanced to the final after its performance in South East regional heats in February. In winning the national Negotiation Competition, Kent will host the final of the Competition in 2016.
The International Negotiation Competition 2015 will be hosted by the Law Society of Ireland in July, and will see student teams represent countries from around the world in competition.