About The Competition
The Center for Law, Ethics, & Commerce at Gonzaga Law School sponsors the annual McNeice Start-Up Counseling Competition that asks students to review the plans for a simulated client’s new business and provide legal advice to that client. The competition was created as part of the Ryan McNeice Law & Entrepreneurship Project, honoring the life and memory of a beloved alumnus and Spokane business lawyer.
Registration for the 2025 competition is now open. Email kiser@gonzaga.edu to register. Limited to 20 students. The Competition rules and problem can be found here.
Competition Rules
Eligibility
The McNeice Start-Up Counseling Competition (“the Competition”) is open to all Gonzaga University School of Law students who: (a) have completed 28 or more credits at the time of Competition registration; and (b) are in good standing from the date the Competition problem is posted through the date of the awards ceremony described below.Original, Individual Work
A contestant’s Competition Memorandum (“Memo”) must be an original and unpublished work. The contestant must be the sole author of his or her Competition Memo; co-authorship and group submissions are prohibited. A contestant may submit only one Competition Memo. A contestant may not seek assistance or advice in connection with the Competition problem or the Competition Memo from any person, including other law students, practicing attorneys, or Gonzaga Law School professors and administrators. This rule does not prevent a contestant from consulting with Westlaw research assistants or librarians at Gonzaga Law School or elsewhere for assistance in locating databases, books, and other resources, but may not use such assistance for framing searches or with any other aspect of the Competition problem or Competition Memo.Prohibition on Use of Generative AI
Generative AI (applications like chatbots that generate or compose text) may not be used in the creation of the contestant’s Competition Memo. While AI tools like spelling and grammar checking are permitted, the use of generative AI is prohibited. If a Competition Memo is found to have been drafted using generative AI, the contestant may be prohibited from continuing with the rest of the competition.Registration
The competition is limited to 20 students; should more than 20 students wish to compete, a wait list will be maintained. Register for the competition by emailing kiser@gonzaga.edu.
Memo Submission, Format, Length, and Client Counseling Session
The written Competition Memo must be submitted as a PDF by email to kiser@gonzaga.edu by 11:00 a.m. on September 19, 2025. The Competition Memo must be double-spaced with one-inch margins and in Times New Roman 12-point font. The Competition Memo may not exceed 2,500 words, including footnotes. The Competition Memo is written to provide a brief legal analysis to the simulated client, and the tone and format should match that intended audience. The live client advising portion of the competition will be held on October 2 or October 3, 2025 and will consist of a 10-20 minute consultation with an actor portraying the client. At that meeting, the contestant will present their analysis from the Competition Memo to the client (who will receive the written copy of it to review in advance) and answer questions from the client.Competition Timeline
September 19: Competition Memo DueOctober 2 or October 3: Client Meetings October 4: Final winner(s) announced
Judging Process
Both the Competition Memo and the live Client Counseling Session will be scored. Awards will be announced at the Alumni Gala on the evening of October 4 (but award recipient(s) are not required to be present to receive the award).
Prizes
1st Place Overall: $2,000
2nd Place Overall: $1,500