Curriculum Guide · Courses

Professor Cathy Costantino

J.D. Seminar 317 | 3 credit hours

This seminar is an interactive workshop designed to teach the practice and principles of joint problem-solving and to improve students' negotiating skills. Students will be expected to read, write, discuss, critique, and participate in simulated disputes, both in and outside of class. The simulations are designed to familiarize students with the negotiating process, to plan and prepare for negotiations, to identify and experiment with individual negotiating styles and to raise ethical and practical questions. Simulations are taken from a variety of practice areas, including commercial, international, environmental, interpersonal, litigation, and transactional disputes. The effect of gender, culture, power, politics, impasse, and attitude toward conflict will also be explored. The course will also offer an introduction to use of alternative dispute resolution and designing conflict management systems as a means to break negotiation impasse. Students learn to negotiate by participating in simulations, studying and discussing negotiation theory and principles, analyzing negotiation exercises, and receiving critique. They will analyze their own negotiations by maintaining a journal throughout the seminar. The class meets one Friday afternoon and four weekend days. Attendance at all sessions is required to fulfill class commitment and students must attend the first class to be enrolled. Grades will be based on class participation, development and application of negotiation skills, the quality of the student's journal (including analysis, application of theory and principles, self-reflection, creativity, style, and organization), and a five-page paper.

Prerequisite: Completion of all first year courses, except Property and Criminal Justice (or the equivalent Democracy and Coercion, or Criminal Procedure), is required.

Part time students, including those transferring to the full time division in Fall 2013, must have completed all first year courses with the exceptions of Criminal Justice and Property.

Students may not receive credit for both this seminar and the Mediation Seminar offered in the Summer 2013 semester; or the Negotiations and Mediation Seminar; or Negotiations and Drafting Seminar.

This course will be enrolled via waitlist. In Summer 2013, this course meets on the following days: May 31, June 1, 2, 8, and 9, 2013. Friday sessions will be held 12:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday sessions will be held 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Attendance at all five classes is mandatory. Enrolled or waitlisted students must attend the first class meeting in order to be enrolled in the course.