The Transactional Law Competition is one of the premier skill-building courses for Wayne Law students, providing invaluable experience in transactional practice. The course is offered as a one-credit class in the fall semester, with most of the work done independently by teams in an attempt to simulate real-world practice. The course is graded on a Pass-No Credit basis. Corporations is a co- or pre-requisite. It must be taken in the Fall, or it must have been taken previously. In this course, students work in teams of two, acting as counsel for either the buyer or seller in a business acquisition. Each team advises its client, drafts questions for its client, prepares an agreement, completes a mark-up of opposing counsel's agreement, and then negotiates the agreement on competition day. The negotiation sessions are the highlight of the course, with Metro Detroit M&A attorneys graciously serving as the judges. These judges provide individualized feedback and evaluate which teams represented their clients most effectively based on various guidelines and client- specific objectives. Students are also assessed on their drafting skills. The winning teams, if they choose to do so, may enroll in the winter semester of the course, representing Wayne Law at the national Wayne State Taft Transactional Law Invitational or other transactional law competitions. The drafting winners may assist the negotiation teams in preparing for the national competition, including drafting required documents and conducting practice negotiation rounds. Notably, there are three to five in-class/virtual sessions taught by Professor Zacks, covering basic, yet essential mergers and acquisitions concepts. Throughout the semester, the chairpersons are available to assist students as they prepare for the competition and will conduct mock negotiation sessions for students to observe. The Fall In-House Competition will be on Friday, November 20, 2026, at the offices of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Southfield, MI. If you have any questions, please contact the student chair  Austin Woody at hv7737@wayne.edu.