Kevin Doran and Jennie Balkas

The IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law team of Jennie Balkas ’16 and Kevin Doran ’15 has won the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Law Student National Representation in Mediation Regional Competition, held February 28 to March 1 at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Ala. Balkas and Doran will compete against winning teams in seven regional tournaments in the national finals held during the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution conference Wednesday, April 15 through Saturday, April 18 in Seattle.

Sponsored by the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, the competition is designed to acquaint law students with advocacy skills in alternative dispute resolution processes, specifically mediation.

Winning team member Balkas graduated from the University of Iowa with a joint degree in economics and political science. Doran studied journalism and Spanish at Indiana University. The team is coached by IIT Chicago-Kent alumni Kate Kosartes ’14, Michael Barnes ’14, Martha Drouet ’14 and David McKenzie ’14.

IIT Chicago-Kent offers a certificate program in litigation and alternative dispute resolution designed to provide a comprehensive and balanced professional education that adequately prepares students to practice law, with a focus on litigation and alternative methods of resolving conflict.