Baylor Law School proudly announces the winners of its annual nationally recognized transactional law competition, The Closer. This year’s co-champions are Caroline Hoover from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and Joshua Lucas Rojas from the University of Tennessee College of Law, whose exceptional performances showcased outstanding analytical skills, strategic thinking, and professional poise.
Runners-up honors were awarded to Tanner Jarrell from the University of Houston Law Center and Nathan Gelbrich from the University of San Diego School of Law. Additionally, Sasha Shadrina from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law received The Closer’s Professionalism Award, as selected by a secret ballot of her fellow competitors. This award recognizes the participant who best exemplifies integrity, respect, and professionalism throughout the competition—hallmarks of the legal profession.
A unique transactional law competition, The Closer brings together top law students from elite transactional law school programs nationwide to tackle a complex business negotiation scenario disclosed to competitors through a realistic file (containing emails, phone notes, research, drafts, and other documents relating to the transaction) revealed to the competitors on the morning after their arrival only 24 hours before the negotiation rounds begin.
Other unique features of The Closer include a context involving real businesses as parties to the transaction at issue, a site visit to a location that is the subject of the transaction, and an opportunity for each competitor to meet individually with their client the afternoon before the negotiation rounds. A feature of the competition unmatched by any other transactional law competition is the number of preliminary negotiation rounds in which each competitor participates: four negotiation sessions, each followed by feedback from at least three experienced transactional lawyer observers. This format ensures that each competitor receives significant opportunities to practice and hone their negotiation skills and ultimately receive feedback from a minimum of 12 experienced transactional lawyers regardless of whether the competitor advances to the final rounds.
“The competition here at The Closer was fierce,” noted co-winner Joshua Rojas. “Everybody was an extremely good negotiator, and I’m proud to have been here. I’m very happy that this will allow me to propel myself forward into the future.” Fellow winner Caroline Hoover added, “The time crunch of The Closer was definitely a challenge. It was a lot of fun to put things together and make everything fit together during the time crunch, but it was definitely a challenge.” She added, “It was an awesome opportunity to get really hands-on and learn more in a way that I’m not able to learn in a classroom at the school.”
This year’s competition centered on a fictional transaction between the City of Waco and Smedley Rue, LLC, a locally-owned family business that operates two Schmaltz’s Sandwich Shoppe restaurants. “Born and Bread in Waco,” Schmaltz’s Sandwich Shoppes are beloved Waco institutions that have served the community for 50 years. The proposed agreement involved granting Schmaltz’s the right to manage and operate food and beverage services at Cameron Park Zoo. The Zoo, known for its natural-habitat wildlife displays and environmental education efforts, is a staple of Central Texas tourism, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. In the crafted scenario, The City wishes to enhance the Zoo’s food and beverage services and facilities to better meet the evolving expectations of visitors. The law students in this year’s competition were treated to a site visit to the Zoo, during which they received an informative tour and behind-the-scenes insight from the Zoo’s Guest Experience Manager.
Under the deal, Schmaltz’s would make significant investments to renovate the Zoo’s café facilities, improve layouts for better customer flow, and serve Schmaltz’s unique signature artisan sandwich options and other fare. Both parties recognize the arrangement’s potential to elevate the Zoo’s reputation as a top tourist destination while simultaneously benefiting the local economy. However, some crucial concerns remained unresolved, prompting competitors to develop new, mutually beneficial solutions within tight time constraints.
“Transactional law requires not just mastery of legal principles but also the ability to craft practical, forward-thinking solutions that meet the needs of all stakeholders,” said Professor of Law Beth Miller, the M. Stephen and Alyce A. Beard Chair in Business and Transactional Law, and the visionary behind The Closer. “This year’s competitors demonstrated those skills at the highest level, and we’re excited to see how they will impact the legal and business communities in the future.”
Mathew Decker, a lawyer with Burr Foreman in Daniel Island, South Carolina, who participated in The Closer as a student competitor in 2024 and returned this year as coach for competitor Daniel Garfinkel of Charleston School of Law, noted, “It’s fun to be back as a coach. This competition, in particular, prepares law students for true practice. A lot of the things that I used in preparation and in this competition, I use in my day-to-day practice.”
Baylor Law School would like to express its gratitude to this year’s competitors, judges, and sponsors for contributing to the success of The Closer competition. A special thank you goes to Schmaltz’s Sandwich Shoppe and the City of Waco’s Cameron Park Zoo for their support in creating a dynamic, real-world negotiation scenario that challenged participants to think critically and creatively.
The Closer continues to be a hallmark of excellence in legal education, providing participants with invaluable experience that bridges the gap between law school and practice. Baylor Law School congratulates the winners, runners-up, and all participants on their outstanding efforts!
Original source can be found here.