University of Dubuque Mediation Team Placed Sixth in International Tournament
Nov 14, 2019
DUBUQUE, Iowa – A University of Dubuque mediation team placed sixth in the Team Mediation Category at the 20th annual International Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament held Nov. 1-3 at the Osgoode School of Law at York University in Toronto, Canada.
The team that placed sixth was Nathan Fernandez, a sophomore criminal justice and sociology major from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota; Rachel Livingston, a senior psychology and sociology major from Caledonia, Illinois; and Shabnam Schmidt, a sophomore economics, philosophy and ethics, and politics major from Bellevue, Iowa.
A second UD team that competed consisted of Eliana Berry, a first-year criminal justice and English major from Durant, Iowa; Eric Czajkowski, a senior psychology and criminal justice major from Oak Forest, Illinois; and Jaden Kelley, a junior communication and psychology major from Milwaukee.
Czajkowski placed fifth in the Individual Mediator Category, earning All-American status.
“We had all new competitors this year, so the fact that we finished in the Top 10 speaks to their talent and hard work. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this group of students accomplish in the next few years,” said Ben Bartels, mediation team coach and assistant professor of criminal justice.
Since its inception in 2012, UD’s mediation team has placed in the Top 10 nationally every year and 15 students have earned All-American status.
The tournament, sponsored by the InterNational Academy of Dispute Resolution, is held every November to give undergraduate students real-life experience as mediators, attorneys, and clients. Three students make up a team, and each student must participate as a mediator in one of the three preliminary rounds. Students work towards finding a peaceful and advantageous resolution for both parties at the table.
