A team of pre-law students, including Honors political science junior Bethany Clinton (second from the right), will attend the International Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament at Brenau University in Gainesville, GA this November following their high achievements at a local tournament.

Recently, the team received six awards for their outstanding performance at the fourth annual Texas Peacemaker Invitational Mediation Tournament at Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, Sept. 29-30.

Essentially, mediation is an alternative form of dispute resolution between two parties that don’t want to take their case to court. In a mediation tournament, students address a variety of cases, representing each party in reaching a settlement to find a more agreeable solution that does not involve the hostility of a court case.

Out of the competing teams, the UTA pre-law team scored highest in terms of mediator performance.

They also received the following awards: Fifth place Advocate Client Team; Fourth place Client Advocate Individual Award; Third place Advocate Client Team; Third place Individual Mediator Award; and First place as Overall Mediator Team.

Bethany, who completed an internship with an Arlington firm this past summer, said she’s passionate about going into law because of the rewarding outcomes in cases. She hopes to go into family law once she graduates.

“Being part of the pre-law program, there are lots of opportunities and events you can go to to make connections and to get more experience, like being on the mediation team,” said Bethany.

Adviser Amber White guided the students in their achievements. As director of the Pre-Law Center, she oversees academic and competitive programs, mentor programs, student development and pre-law student organizations.

Pre-Law is for everyone, said Amber. In addition to the traditional pre-law majors such as political science, philosophy, and criminal justice, she has also advised students with science, art, architecture, and even French majors.

While she helps students achieve their goals through a variety of opportunities, she sees the center as sailing ship powered by brilliant students.

“If you have big dreams or goals or ideas in your mind that you want to make difference and you can do that through the practice of law regardless of what discipline you have. Honors College and the Pre-Law Center kind of have that in common,” she said.