Negotiation Workshop B (LAW 44100A)
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL
SPRING 2013
W,Th 3:10 PM – 7:20 PM
Instructors:
Robert Bordone
Pound 521
617-495-9194
Most lawyers, irrespective of their specialty, must negotiate. Litigators resolve far more disputes through negotiation than by trials. Business lawyers — whether putting together a start-up company, arranging venture financing, or preparing an initial public offering — are called upon to negotiate on behalf of their clients. Public interest lawyers, in-house counsel, government attorneys, criminal lawyers, tort lawyers, and commercial litigators all share the need to be effective negotiators.
This Workshop, by combining theory and practice, aims to improve both the participants’ understanding of negotiation and their effectiveness as negotiators. Drawing on work from a variety of research perspectives, the readings and lectures will provide students with a framework for analyzing negotiations and tools and concepts useful in negotiating more effectively. Participants will spend much of their time in a series of negotiation exercises and simulations, where as negotiators and critical observers, they will become more aware of their own behavior as negotiators and learn to analyze what works, what does not work, and why.
The Workshop is intensive and time-consuming. It meets Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:10 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. In addition, students will need to be present for exercises for portions of two weekends during the term. These sessions are required.
The Workshop will be limited to 120 students who will be divided into four working groups of 24 each. Plenary sessions of the full class will be devoted to demonstrations, discussion problems, lectures, video and film. Much of the time devoted to exercises and simulations will take place in the smaller working groups, each of which will be led by an experienced instructor and a teaching assistant.
No fewer than 25 spots will be reserved for 1Ls. 1Ls will be admitted to the course through an application process during the fall semester. The remainder of the slots will be open to all 2Ls, 3Ls, LL.M.s and cross-registrants who will be interspersed within the working groups.
In addition to participating in the daily activities, students will be expected to keep a journal and write a short paper. The journal is submitted weekly. This course has no final examination.
During the first week of the Workshop, upperclass and LL.M. students will be given an opportunity to elect to take the Workshop on a credit/no credit basis. For cross-registrants, the availability of the credit/no credit option is dependent on the policies of their home school.
Please note: The Workshop has an early drop deadline of December 14, 2012. The course may not be dropped after December 14, 2012 without the written permission of the instructor.
