King Hall Student Team Wins Statewide Environmental Negotiations Competition

King Hall students Drew Saruwatari `12 and Miles Hogan `12 won first place honors in the California State Bar Environmental Law Section's 13th Annual Student Negotiations Competition.  The competition, which drew 26 teams from 16 different California law schools, was held on March 23 at UCLA School of Law.

Two-person teams competed in two preliminary rounds of a simulated environmental dispute.  The teams were judged by California environmental lawyers, judges, and professional mediators.

In addition to the team of Saruwatari and Hogan, David Green '12 and Naomi Kaplowitz '12 also represented King Hall in the competition.  Both teams were coached by Professors Rick Frank and Donna Shestowsky.  After the preliminary rounds of competition, the team of Hogan-Saruwatari advanced to the finals, a first-ever accomplishment for a UC Davis team.  In the final round, teams negotiated an entirely new environmental dispute.  The Hogan-Saruwatari team ultimately won First Place in the competition -- another King Hall first.

This year's competitors would like to thank Professor Frank, Professor Shestowsky and Professor Al Lin for their guidance and help in preparing for the competition.  Additionally, the competitors expressed their appreciation to Leah White `13 of the King Hall Negotiations Team for setting up practice rounds and graciously donating her time to help the teams prepare.  Finally, the competitors thanked the King Hall Deans for their generous financial assistance as well as their ongoing support for the Environmental and Negotiations programs at King Hall.