UNM School of Law Students Compete in ABA National Negotiation Competition
March 24, 2026
Four second-year students from the UNM School of Law recently competed in the American Bar Association Law Student Division’s 2025-2026 National Negotiation Competition.
The competition provides law students an opportunity to sharpen their negotiation skills through simulated negotiations, where teams act as lawyers to reach agreements. Teams advance to the national stage following regional competitions held across the country.
Ashley Sepulveda and Sophia Garcia competed at the regional competition in Portland, Oregon, alongside teammates Annie Counter and Megan Martin, with all four students delivering strong performances. Counter and Martin advanced to the regional finals and earned an invitation to compete at the national competition in Chicago, Illinois, on January 30-31, 2026. The team spent winter break preparing intensively with their coach, Dathan Weems. Although they did not advance in the final national rounds, they gained valuable experience competing alongside some of the nation’s top law students and proudly represented UNM School of Law on the national stage.
Martin shared, “While we did not advance at the national level, we had the opportunity to negotiate against and with some of the most advanced and competitive law students around the country. We were very excited and proud to be able to represent the UNM School of Law, and we are very appreciative of our coach and professor, Dathan Weems, for all his help with coaching and for taking the time to travel with us to Chicago.”
Counter also added, “It was an incredible experience and a meaningful opportunity to showcase our school on a national stage.”
The School of Law is proud of these exceptional students and congratulates Annie Counter, Megan Martin, Sophia Garcia, and Ashley Sepulveda on their outstanding achievements. We also thank coach Dathan Weems for his mentorship and dedication in coaching and supporting the team.
