One essential component of a law education is the opportunity to join competition teams such as moot court, mock trial, and dispute resolution. For Ali Razavi (JD ’15), a Chapman University Fowler School of Law alumnus and founder and managing attorney of Razavi Law Group, participation in Fowler Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) team proved a tipping point for his career.
“I credit much of my success to Fowler Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution team,” Razavi said. “Not only did I gain a wealth of knowledge in the program, but it connected me to one of my first law jobs.”
As an active member of Fowler Law’s ADR Board, Razavi finished among the top 10 performing teams at the 15th Annual Student Environmental Negotiation Competition in 2014. He also competed in an international competition in London and ranked as a finalist.
“One of my fondest memories is when Fowler Law asked me to compete in an international negotiation competition in London,” he recalled. “This gave me a lot of confidence in further pursuing my career in law.”
Now, Razavi is giving back to his alma mater with a $25,000 pledge to fund competitions for the next generation of Fowler Law students. Competitions provide real-life experience in law practice in a controlled environment, allow students to develop important skills they will use as practitioners, and provide networking opportunities with fellow law students and attorneys.
“Law school teaches students to be practitioners, allows them to understand the different theories of law, and how to apply those theories to a fact pattern,” Razavi stated. “However, the ability to speak to, listen to, and understand a distressed client is what seems to be missing in real-world practice. Competitions can help teach students the human factor necessary to be a lawyer.”
In general, competitions, including those focused on client counseling, emphasize the importance of preventative law and the need to be an effective counselor. Fowler Law School competitions test the student’s ability to deal with clients’ non-legal goals as well as their legal concerns. Students must coordinate their efforts to place the client at ease and probe the client for relevant details.
“The success of Fowler Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution team rises above similar programs at top-ranked law schools,” said John Bishop, visiting professor and faculty advisor of the competition teams at Fowler Law. “Students who compete on ADR use the skills they’ve acquired on competition teams in their careers with actual clients; it’s one of the most impactful experiences of their law school career.”
Longtime faculty member Nancy Schultz was the driving force behind Chapman’s competition teams, establishing the teams and personally overseeing each competition for almost three decades. Before her unexpected passing, her efforts helped Fowler Law to a No. 82 ranking in both trial advocacy and dispute resolution by U.S. News & World Report.
In addition to the competition teams’ achievements, an increase in career placement and bar-pass rate helped propel the Fowler School of Law up one spot to No. 108 in the most recent best law school rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
Razavi has been inspired by Fowler Law’s continued ascent toward the nation’s top 100 law schools. With his pledge, he wants to provide other students with the same opportunities he had and show his appreciation.
“Chapman is more than a school; it greatly impacted my career and provides a network that you can rely on well into your professional career,” Razavi concluded. “I hope the next generation of students continue to pay it forward here at Chapman.”
If Chapman inspires you and you want to make a positive difference for others, like Razavi, learn more about how to support Chapman or donate today.
