One of the best ways for students to feel like "real lawyers" is for them to negotiate and draft contracts. The University of Miami will be announcing an inaugural invitational in the coming weeks so if you want to be in sunny Florida in early February, stay tuned. That competition will not require knowledge of M&A.

If M&A is your happy place, here's a fantastic opportunity from the American Bar Association. 

MAC CUP II- ABA M&A Committee Invitational

Fall 2024 – January 2025

Application and Preliminary Instructions

The M&A Committee of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section is seeking applications from JD students enrolled in ABA-approved law schools in the US and Canada to participate in its annual ABA M&A Committee Invitational (the “MAC Cup”).

Get your sunscreen and sunglasses ready — the “Final Four” teams will win an expense-paid trip to Laguna Beach, California, to compete for the championship at the ABA M&A Committee’s annual meeting on January 30 – 31, 2025.

Students should apply, and will participate, in teams of two. Qualifying rounds will be held during Fall 2024, with final rounds in January 2025. Additional information is attached below. Materials from last year’s MAC Cup, and other information, is available at the MAC Cup homepage: .

Students seeking an invitation to participate in the MAC Cup should:

(i) complete the application (see the website),

(ii) provide blinded resumes,

(iii) prepare the one page statement of interest described below.

These materials should be sent to both: (i) Thaddeus Chase, McDermott Will & Emery, at techase@mwe.com and (ii) the MAC Cup Subcommittee at TheMACCup@mwe.com.

Students on a proposed team should complete a single application and statement of interest together and submit them (along with each of their resumes) jointly.

The application deadline is September 25, 2024. 

Team Application Period – September 3-25, 2024

First Open Round – October 26/27, 2024 (Virtual)

Second Open Round – November 2/3, 2024 (Virtual)

Elite 8 Negotiations – January 25, 2024 (Virtual)

Semi-Finals – January 30, 2025, Laguna Beach California

Finals – January 31, 2025, Laguna Beach California

Good luck!