Professor Pat Chapin Coaches Boyd Law Team at ABA Regional Negotiation Competition
Joe Itkoff (’26) and Sean Jarchow (’26) represented Boyd at the ABA Regional Student Negotiation Competition, held October 18–19, 2025, at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Regional featured a large and highly competitive field of 28 teams. Joe and Sean won one of their rounds and narrowly dropped another, earning consistent praise from judges for their preparation, professionalism, and execution.
“As their coach, I can attest to the quality of their preparation and relentless energy and competitiveness,” said Professor Patrick Chapin. “They represented Boyd in a proud way, and I was honored to serve as their coach.”
This was Professor Chapin’s first year coaching Boyd’s team for the ABA Negotiation Competition.
For the Negotiation Team, Chapin hand-picked students from his negotiation courses, looking for those who show strong analytical skills and the right temperament for high-pressure simulations. “Commitment is key,” he said. “I reached out to Joe and Sean last summer, and they immediately said yes. We received competition materials in mid-September and immediately started meeting in person, via Zoom, and weekends, to prepare.”
Their preparation included reviewing rules, studying past competition footage, and running extended practice sessions, including 5–6-hour simulations the day before the competition.
Chapin’s experience as a law student competitor on his school’s trial advocacy and moot court teams helped shape his coaching approach. Years of judging, teaching, and leading in-class simulations have given him a sharp sense of what separates good negotiators from excellent ones.
“Professor Chapin is an incredible coach, teacher, and mentor,” said Itkoff. “I’ve taken both of his negotiation classes, and he brings the same calm, thoughtful presence and genuine investment to every session. While preparing for the competition, he created an environment where we could shape our own strategy with full autonomy while still having steady, well-timed guidance whenever we needed it. Working with him made the entire process feel collaborative, supported, and genuinely rewarding.”
Professor Chapin is now gearing up to coach his next team for the ABA Client Counseling Competition in Spring 2026.