March 19, 2019

BLSA Team Takes First Place at National Competition

Southwestern's Black Law Students Association negotiations team took first place at the 51st Annual National Black Law Students convention held March 12th to 17th in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Jasmine Lewis and Syrita Morgan competed in the Nelson Mandela International Negotiations Competition where their skill and preparation floored judges from the initial round. Heaping praise upon the students, one of the judges remarked that “[Syrita] controlled the table- in a good way…[and] ensured everyone was heard while keeping the negotiation moving on [the] team’s agenda.”

The competition began with 15 teams and quickly whittled down to eight, then four, then, finally, two. In a surprise turn of events, the final two opposing competitors were given an entirely new fact pattern, with only one hour to prepare.

Southwestern went on to win it all.

Morgan spoke highly of her partnership with Lewis, crediting their chemistry and complementary styles as important ingredients in the team's victory. “We made a great team because we respected our different approaches to the competition, prioritized having fun and laughing, and were committed to improving each round. The judges were impressed with our teamwork, communication, flexibility at the table, and deep understanding of the facts. Personally, I loved how relentlessly we pushed-back and disposed of the other teams’ justifications."

Morgan also commended her coaches for preparing the team for the competition.  "Keisha Payne, Kanani Datan, and Robert Ford ‘18 did an awesome job teaching us to negotiate, work as a team, and self-evaluate our performance.”

Let’s congratulate these champions on their amazing accomplishment! Feel free to comment on our Facebook post here.