The Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Board will host

The 2025 Robert R. Merhige, Jr. National Environmental Negotiation Competition

March, 2025

The Robert R. Merhige, Jr. National Environmental Negotiation Competition is held at the University of Richmond Law School in honor of the late United States District Court Judge. A graduate of the T.C. Williams School of Law, Judge Merhige presided over several groundbreaking cases, including the desegregation of Virginia schools in 1972 and the admittance of female students at the University of Virginia in 1970. Over the course of his thirty-one years on the bench, Judge Merhige showed a sincere commitment to the environment, imposing a $13 million fine against Allied Chemical for its pollution of the James River and Chesapeake Bay with the insecticide Kepone and encouraging the company to institute an $8 million cleanup fund. Judge Merhige retired in 1998 and returned to private practice at the law firm of Hunton & Williams. He passed away in 2005. Each year, the University of Richmond Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Board honors his legacy through the spirit of this competition.

The registration fee for each team is $450. Schools are allowed to enter up to two teams, with a third team if space permits.

Register Here

The competition will feature a field of sixteen teams from around the country. Competitors will be judged by local and environmental law attorneys.

Further information, including the rules of the competition, important dates, and other preparation materials, will be released as the competition approaches.

 

Contact our competition coordinators:

Keshav Agiwal keshav.agiwal@richmond.edu

Spencer Hamilton spencer.hamilton@richmond.edu