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    ABA Client Counseling Competition

    2024-2025 Registration Information

    Registration is now open. Register here!

    Regional competitions will be held in person and virtually.

    Any registration requests after this date, or registered teams who are late in submitting payment, will be accepted at the discretion of the Law Student Division. 

    These practical skills competitions offer students an opportunity to hone the skills that students will use as a practitioner through intraschool, regional, and national competitions.

    2024-2025 Information

    • 2024-2025 Topic: Employment Law
    • 2024-2025 Client Counseling Regional Dates: 
      • February 7-9
      • February 14-16
      • February 21-23 
    • National Dates: March 15-16, 2025 
    • Client Counseling Competition Rules

    All schools may register up to two teams before the registration deadline and may request a third team that will be allowed where space is available. Notices about which requested third teams will be able to compete will be sent out mid to late November. The registration fee for each approved third team will be due within one week of receiving the notification.

    2023-2024 Champions

    Congratulations to the 2023-2024 Client Counseling National Champions—St. Mary's University School of Law: Max Massey, Jacklyn Dhaemers, and Delaney Montez!

    Competition Rules and Guidelines

    Competition Format & Team Composition

    A team consists of three JD candidates attending the same ABA-approved law school. The regional competition consists of three qualifying rounds with each team competing indirectly against one or two other teams in each round. The teams are presented with a different client matter in each round. After the qualifying rounds, the top six teams advance to the semifinal round, culminating with the three winning teams in the final round.

    ABA Email Communication Notice

    Each team must choose a main contact. The team’s main contact will be the point of contact with the ABA. The team and the main contact understand that the main contact will receive all communication from the ABA regarding the competition(s), including Regional Assignments and the Problem. The ABA encourages teams to select a faculty member and/or team Coach who will be responsible for important details to the rest of the team. The main contact is responsible for sharing all communication with the team. The ABA is not responsible for missed emails. The ABA is also not responsible for ensuring that the main contact shares all communication with the team.

    Client Counseling Problems and Final Round Recordings

    Recent problems and final round recordings are also now available at no cost. These resources may be downloaded and shared within your school for educational purposes. Downloadable and viewing links can be found here.

    Client Counseling Competition Results

    Regional Host School Rotation

    The Client Counseling Competition depends on law schools to host the regional competitions. To create a fair rotation of this responsibility we have created the Host Rotation Schedule and assigned participating schools to upcoming years. Schools listed in the rotation schedule are not confirmed hosts.

    An updated Host Rotation Schedule will be available soon.

    Regional Assignments

    Each school will receive official notification of its regional assignment in early October. The Law Student Division will use its best efforts to assign each school to its first or second choice. Preference will be given to teams based on a geographic proximity and a shared time zone with their requested host school.

    If the number of teams registered for a particular region does not equal a multiple of four, the ABA Law Student Division reserves the right to move schools to a different region.