Denver Law Student Prevails in National Transactional Law Competition

Linda Yan (l) with coach Paige Coriden, JD'15, was one of two winners of this year's "The Closer" hosted by Baylor Law School.

For the second time in less than five years, a Sturm College of Law student took home the highest honors from Baylor Law School's "The Closer" national transactional law competition. Linda Yan, a 2L in the Corporate and Commercial Law Program, was recommended by Professor Michael Sousa, who directs the program, to participate in this year's competition. Yan was coached by alumna Paige Coriden, JD'15, a partner at Holland & Hart.

Competitors in the event, which has been held at Baylor since 2017, have 24 hours to review a deal file with contract markups, client call notes, and background materials. During this time, the competitors must parse the documents for relevance, digest the redlined agreement, and prepare to negotiate directly against another law student across four rounds — and that's just the first day.

On the night before the second day of competition, students who advance to the finals receive a last-minute twist from their mock client that forces a real-time reassessment of strategy and priorities. 

Yan and Adelaide Fitzgerald of the University of Oregon School of Law each took home $5,000 checks for their wins. The Sturm College of Law is proud to recognize Yan and Coriden for their achievement, and celebrate the strength of its experiential programs and alumni network.