Fordham Law’s Dispute Resolution Society seeks to wrap its spring campaign in victorious fashion this week when it participates in the American Bar Association’s 19th Annual National Representation in Mediation Competition in Washington, D.C.
The 2L team of Robert Beecher and Alexa Gomez will compete in the national finals, scheduled for this Wednesday and Thursday, among a field of eight regional winners. Fordham Law finished first in the regional it hosted on Feb. 24–25. 3L Tara Tegeleci coaches the team.
This year marks the sixth time in the past eight years Fordham has reached nationals. The Law School won the national title in 2011 and has reached the semifinals in 2007 and 2013.
Beecher and Gomez received their problems for the two preliminary rounds of nationals on Friday, March 23. Since then, the team has performed two 75-minute moots per day to prepare. In the process, Beecher, Gomez, and Tegeleci passed up their spring break plans for a shot at the national title.
“We both competed in sports growing up,” said Gomez, who played soccer, of herself and Beecher. “This is a whole new type of competition, but you’re still getting that thrill.”
“Any opportunity to win is a thrill,” agreed Beecher, who played basketball and swam as a youth.
A successful mediation team must take a collaborative approach, rather than an adversarial one, with its opponent, the teammates explained. Beecher and Gomez employ their opposing strengths when acting as clients—she acts as client in serious problems, he acts as client when more emotion is required. They also attributed their regional success to their ability to perform astute self-analysis, a 10-minute exercise following 75-minute rounds that counted toward the overall score.
Beecher and Gomez will receive their first place regional award this week during the national competition, which is held in conjunction with the ABA Section of Dispute Spring Conference.
“Hopefully we’ll be getting two trophies,” Beecher said with a smile.
