Nick Dillinger and Jason Matzen, both second-year law students, placed second at the fourth annual Energy Law Negotiation Competition. The competition was held in Houston at the South Texas College of Law from Mar. 24-25.
After winning the preliminary and final rounds at the local energy competition here at UW earlier in February, the team earned their spot to compete at a national level in the energy capital of the U.S.
Associate Professor of Law and Director for Energy Resource Management and Development Tara Righetti is responsible for organizing the competition on campus and helped prepare Matzen and Dillinger for the competition.
“They work really well together, which I think was one of their strengths as a team, is that they did a very nice job of sharing responsibility, communicating with each other and presenting a unified approach,” Righetti said.
One of the obstacles UW law students are faced with in these competitions, Righetti noted, is insufficient time. While some law schools offer negotiation competitions as a class, students at UW participate in the extra-curricular competitions, in addition to their normal coursework.
Despite many of the law schools having this advantage, Matzen and Dillinger placed second in the nation.
Dillinger and Matzen were assessed on their knowledge of the law and their ability to get a good outcome for their client. They were also judged on their ability to use negotiation to build a relationship with the other side, to find out new information through fact gathering and their flexibility in adapting their strategy based on the other side’s actions, as well as their professionalism and demeanor.
Matzen believes these competitions can give students a glimpse into the day-to-day life of an attorney.
“It’s a great experience and it gives you a better idea of what actual practice is going to look like,” Matzen said.
In preparing for the energy competition, the team consulted alumni who work in the energy field to gain insight and perspective in the industry.
“I’ve always had an interest in oil and gas and I had kinda shielded away from it because I was worried about how much it fluctuates, but just in my conversation with our alumni and people in the area, depending on what you do within oil and gas, you can find that stability,” Dillinger said. “For me, it was reassuring to know that if that’s where my passion is at, it’s something I can pursue.”
Righetti believes participating in these competitions allows students to develop a set of valuable skills that will serve them well down the road as attorneys.
“Negotiation skills, obviously, but also time management, that really intensive preparation, thinking strategically and the ability to engage in on-the-spot critical thinking to adapt their strategies and process new information, apply facts and then still respond based on the client’s interest,” Righetti said. “All of that is highly transferable to law practice.”
