A team of TRU Law students came in fourth place at the National Sports Law Negotiation Competition. The competition took place from Oct. 18–20 in San Diego, Calif. TRU Law sent two teams of two this year: Luke Conkin and Brynn Pedlow, and Sarah Andrusky and Neelam Jassal. Conkin and Pedlow made the final round and finished fourth overall.
TRU Law is the only Canadian team that competes at this sports law competition. This year’s team was coached by TRU Law alumni Karen Perry and Imogen Jenkins. Perry had competed in the NSLNC herself.
The competition required teams to negotiate two preliminary rounds. Both rounds focused the settlement of a real-life complaint by University of Oregon beach volleyball players, alleging disparate treatment in facilities and in “name, image and likeness” opportunities. Andrusky and Jassal found it incredibly rewarding to address issues of gender equality in sports while gaining practical experience in negotiation.
After preparing for a couple of months, the teams went to San Diego. The preparation paid off. After Conkin’s and Pedlow’s first round, one of the judges said: “This is terrible, terrible for every other team here. This is the best performance I have ever seen. Straight business from the beginning.”
Conkin’s and Pedlow’s performance sent them to the finals, TRU Law’s best showing at the competition.
Conkin and Pedlow prepared on Saturday night for a new negotiation — the departure of a sports agent from their agency. Coach Perry was proud of how both teams pulled together to prepare for the finals.
“It really was a collaborative team effort,” she said.
The team worked so hard, they called Prof. Ryan Gauthier at 10:55 p.m. for a quick pep talk and to ask questions. They negotiated well on Sunday, demonstrating that they belonged in the finals. At the end of the day, Conkin and Pedlow walked away with a fourth-overall finish among the 40 teams at the competition.
Reflecting on their experience, the fourth-place finishers highlighted their approach of actually listening to what the other party has to say to understand their interests, and proposing solutions that are mutually beneficial. They also pointed out that they were willing to be clear and assertive when necessary.
Financial support for the team to go to San Diego came from the TRU Students’ Union and the Dr. Sherman Jen Innovation Competition Prize.
