Nine students from Texas Wesleyan participated in the Texas Peacemaker Mediation Tournament at the University of Texas at Dallas on Saturday, Sept. 26. They demonstrated their skills both the mediator and advocate/client divisions.

The team of Hina Syed and Patricia Duffey claimed third place. Tammy Hayes and Angela Reed placed fourth in the advocate/client division and Carlos Ruiz placed second in the mediator division. Texas Wesleyan placed second overall for the team of Hina Syed, Carlos Ruiz and Patricia Duffey.

In the tournament, teams of three students each go through three preliminary rounds serving as mediators, advocates and clients. Mediators work with co-mediators from different schools, which encourages students to recognize that mediation is about working together to reach a solution, rather than competing at every turn.

Advocates and clients are judged on their ability to present their case, to articulate their strengths and weaknesses and to work with the mediators toward a solution while also meeting their needs and interests. 

The next step for the mediation team is the National Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament, held Nov. 10-12, 2015 at Drake Law School in Des Moines, Iowa.

The mediation team is coached by Barbara Kirby, J.D., director of the Paralegal Studies program.