Find out more below about the numerous competitions available for UCLA School of Law students. These competitions offer a terrific opportunity for law students to put into practice what they are learning in the classroom!
UCLA Transactional Law Competitions
We offer two transactional law competitions for students:
• an intramural competition in the fall in connection with Law 764 (open to all students)
• an interscholastic competition in the spring (competitive selection, Law 764 preferred)
Both competitions offer law students an opportunity to practice drafting and negotiating a simulated complex business transaction. Student teams, representing either the buyer or seller, are provided a simulated M&A problem. They draft portions of the proposed agreement and then, on the date of the competition, negotiate the terms with an opposing team. Experienced practitioners will serve as judges for the competition and are assigned to mentor each team.
Read more about each transactional competition below:
UCLA Transactional Law Competition (Intramural) – Law 764
• Registration in Law 764 required (1 credit -p/np)
• Competition: November 7, 2025 from 12:15 to 5:00 pm
• Open to all UCLA Law students.
• Law 764 meets Mondays from 10-12. First class on September 8. There is still time to enroll!
• Class members can create their own team, or be assigned to a team. There will be 2 – 3 students per team. Teams will be assigned a mentor.
• Course and competition give a high level introduction to Purchase Agreements and how they work as well as contract drafting and negotiation.
• Precedent and self-directed learning available on Bruin Learn.
• Teams assigned mentors for the competition.
• Intramural Competition Timeline:
September 26 – Drop Date
October 17 – Drafts Due
October 31 – Markups Due
November 7 – Transactional Law Competition from 12:30 – 5:00 p
For more information, please contact karlsson@law.ucla.edu. Or come to office hours August 27 from 12:15-1:00 in the Lowell Milken Institute Conference Room – Suite 1429.
UCLA Transactional Law Competition (Interscholastic)
• Spring 2026
• Application open to 2L, 3L, LLM and SJD students. Competitive selection. Students in Law 764 preferred.
• 12+ teams primarily from top schools all over the country compete. Past schools include: Berkeley, USC, UC Davis, Northwestern, Georgetown, Emory.
• UCLA sends two teams.
• Assigned Experienced Coaches
• Applications available October 24 and are due November 14. Team selection will be made before the holiday break.
• Interscholastic team members receive 2 credits graded independent study credit.
• Buyer’s Counsel and Seller’s Counsel are each eligible to win:
o Best Draft
o Best Negotiation
o Best Overall
For more information, please contact karlsson@law.ucla.edu. Or come to office hours August 27 from 12:15-1:00 in the Lowell Milken Institute Conference Room – Suite 1429.
Holland & Knight Joint Venture Challenge
The Holland & Knight Joint Venture Challenge is a real-world simulation held at UCLA School of Law each spring. Teams are put in the role of private equity fund advisor. Teams consist of two to three UCLA Law and Anderson students, and are provided with a coach. No prior experience is necessary!
The competition is sponsored by the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy and UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate.
Applications will be available in the Fall, and are generally due at the end of January.
For more information, please contact the Real Estate Law Association at rela@lawnet.ucla.edu.
Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition
The Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition is widely recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent moot court competitions and focuses on a bankruptcy restructuring issue. Students with bankruptcy coursework and experience preferred. LMI will provide $1,000/student of funding for up to two students ($2,000 in total) to help defray the costs of attending the competition.
This year the competition will be held from Saturday, February 28, 2026 to Monday, March 2, 2026. Students must be available to travel on Friday, February 27 and return on Tuesday March 3. Approximately 50 teams from across the country compete.
The competition issues a fact pattern, typically at the end of the fall semester. Students write briefs on behalf of their client. This competition focuses on the oral argument of the brief issue.
For more information, please contact Professor Dan Bussel at bussel@law.ucla.edu.
Lowell Milken Institute Sandler Prize for New Entrepreneurs
The Lowell Milken Institute-Sandler Prize for New Entrepreneurs is open to all UCLA students. It is a team business plan competition designed to recognize student innovation and support the real-world launch of promising new business ventures. Participants will learn how to build and pitch a business plan, and will get the chance to network and build relationships with fellow UCLA entrepreneurs and industry mentors.
The competition features three prizes: a first place prize, a second place prize, and a New Venture prize. Each member of the first place team will receive $4,000 in scholarship funds, each member of the second place team will receive $2,000 in scholarship funds, and each member of the winning “New Venture” category team will receive $2,500 in scholarship funds.
For more information, please contact LMISandlerPrize@law.ucla.edu. Or come to office hours August 27 from 12:15-1:00 in the Lowell Milken Institute Conference Room – Suite 1429.