Advanced Negotiation: Transactions

Advanced Negotiation takes students beyond the two-party, lawyer-client negotiations that were the focus of the Negotiation Seminar. This course, Advanced Negotiation: Transactions, places the student in more difficult and more nuanced transactional simulations, working as individuals, lawyer-client pairs, and teams to negotiate on behalf of business entities, governments, unions and NGOs. Simulations may include critical-path supply agreements, vendor/collaborator contracts, cross-cultural joint ventures, airline reorganization, founder/VC deals, big pharma arbitration resolution and multi-party private sector/government negotiations. The goals of the class include developing a designer's mindset for strategic preparation and client counseling on both facts and law, and tactical adjustments to changing scenarios; ethical responsibilities; deeper analysis and work on the persuasive elements (oral and written) of negotiation; coalition formation and management; improved tactical skills, methods of questioning, response control and, ultimately, improved confidence and competence. Special Instructions: Attendance at and participation in all simulations and debriefing sessions is required. Passing is dependent upon this active participation, and a series of short papers and/or in-class presentations. Prerequisite: Negotiation Seminar or its substantial equivalent, as assessed by the instructor. This class is limited to 20 students, 16 from SLS selected by lottery, with an effort to have 4 non-law students by consent of instructor. Elements used in grading: attendance, participation in both the negotiations and the debriefings, thorough and meaningful preparation, and all other assigned work.