KU Law wins back-to-back national transactional law competitions

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas School of Law is wrapping up March with two consecutive national transactional law competition wins. Both victories continue multiyear winning streaks for KU Law at these competitions.

On March 21, second-year student Namisha Ajit and third-year student Alex Falk traveled to Southfield, Michigan, to compete in the Wayne State Taft Transactional Law Competition. The pair competed against 21 other teams from across the country. Ajit and Falk ended the weekend by bringing home one of the top prizes – best negotiation.

“Competitions like these give law students a chance to step outside the classroom and put our knowledge into practice. It’s one thing to study contracts or negotiations from a textbook — but it’s another to sit across the table and actually advocate for your client in real time,” Ajit said. “These experiences push us to think critically, communicate clearly and collaborate effectively, all while getting a real feel for what transactional law practice is actually like.”

The team was coached by Polsinelli attorney Bill Quick. This marks the second year in a row that KU Law has earned this achievement.

“What this success means for KU Law is two things. First, it shows that KU Law is extremely competitive in both litigation and transactional law and that it can prepare students for what they will encounter in the real world,” Falk said. “Second, it shows that when KU Law shows up to these competitions, while they are there to learn and gain practical experience, they are at the competition with one mission: to win.”

This is the second national victory for KU Law’s transactional law program this spring. On March 7, eight students competed at the UCLA Transactional Law Competition in California, where both of the KU teams beat out 25 other teams from law schools across the country and tied for best overall.  The Gold Team consisted of third-year student Sydney Hoffman and second-year students Karsen Adams, Michael Maffry and Dayana Schulz. The Blue Team members included third-year law students Liam Bigbee, Amanda Brauninger, Kylie Hance and Albert Lyu.

This marks the third consecutive year that KU Law has earned the top prize in this event.

“This is the third year in a row that KU Law has won best overall at UCLA, with some team members being repeat winners. This win further establishes that KU Law has top-tier transactional students and competition teams,” Hoffman said.

“This success is a tremendous achievement for both our team and KU Law, as it not only highlights our skills but also validates the hard work, dedication and sacrifices we've made,” Brauninger said. “For me personally, this marks my second win competing for the KU Transactional Law Team, which makes it even more meaningful — it reinforces the countless hours spent refining strategies, practicing negotiations and working together. This victory reflects the commitment of everyone involved and further solidifies KU Law's reputation for excellence in the transactional law space.”

The teams spent months preparing for the competition with the help of their coaches Stinson partner Eric Mikkelson, L’94, and Gilmore Bell attorney Kevin Wempe, L’14.

“Preparation was the key to our success. We started by thoroughly researching the case materials, fully understanding the details of the issue at hand and anticipating potential counterarguments. We held multiple practice sessions that simulated the competition environment, which helped build our confidence and sharpen our advocacy skills,” Hance said. “Additionally, consistent feedback from our coach, Kevin Wempe, played a huge role in refining our approach and ensuring that we presented the strongest possible arguments.”

Student participation in these competitions is supported by the Polsinelli Transactional Law Center, a partnership between KU Law and Polsinelli, which also offers transactional law courses, symposia and other programming to arm students with the practical skills necessary for successful careers in transactional law.

“A key ingredient for our success is the stellar menu of courses in business/commercial law and transactional skills offered by my colleagues here at the law school, which lets our students come to these competitions extremely well-prepared. We are also so fortunate to have a deep bench of elite transactional lawyers who coach our teams, generously sharing their expertise with our students,” said Alex Platt, associate professor of law and director of the Polsinelli Transactional Law Center. “But, above all, the program’s success is because of the unbelievable dedication and brilliance of our incredible KU Law students. These competitions let our students show the world what they are capable of. It’s been amazing to watch students put enormous efforts into these competitions — and get the recognition they deserve.”

More highlights from the 2024-2025 competition season:

• Third-year students William James, Meredith Harris, Violet Brull and Jack Roberts, coached by Husch Blackwell partner Anna Kimbrell, L’14, and Dennis Schapker, L’79, competed at the William & Mary Colonial Cup Transactional Law Competition in March.
• Third-year students Violet Brull and Jack Roberts, coached by Dennis Schapker, L’79, competed at the American Bar Association’s Mac Cup II M&A Negotiation Competition last fall.
• Third-year student Kathleen Siderchuk Rothfelder, coached by Polsinelli attorney Bill Quick, competed at Baylor University’s “The Closer” National Transactional Law Competition in January.

Learn more about the transactional law programs at KU Law.