On January 30, third-year law students Catherine Allison and Zachary Blair competed in the National Finals of the ABA 2025–2026 Negotiation Competition, representing FIU Law in Chicago, Illinois. The pair advanced to the national stage, ranking among the top 28 of 142 United States law school teams that entered the competition in Fall 2025 FIU Law was strongly represented throughout the National Finals, held at
the ABA’s headquarters in Chicago.
Zachary and Catherine extend their gratitude to Interim Dean Michelle D. Mason for her support. They also thank the Negotiation and Mediation Team (NAMT) Executive Board, who coached them throughout the competition: Emma Masters, Carlos Ayala, Robert Gutierrez, Renee Sealy, Jose Graces, and Catherine Ullivari. Additional thanks go to Professor Yordanka Delionado and NAMT alumna Kassandra Casanova for their continued support and coaching.
The team also expresses sincere appreciation to the NAMT members who served as opposing counsel during practice rounds: Flavia Argamasilla, Sheyla Narbona, Kevin Quiroga, Francesca Baffone, Hallyn Solares, Kevin Cejas, Jasmine Felix, Camila Rodriguez, Jared Schaffer, Clar Harrison Roses, Ahvanah Ali, Michelle Alberro, Nathalie Jusino, Michael Prego, Adriana Herrera, Kendra Medina, Giovanna Del Nero, Abram Crespo, and Priscilla Tamayo.