S. Negotiation Workshop
Course Information
- Course Number
- L8115
- Curriculum Level
- Upperclass
- Areas of Study
- Civil Procedure, Litigation, and Dispute Resolution, Lawyering
- Type
- Simulation
- Additional Attributes
- Experiential Credit
Section 006 Information
Instructor
Daniel Stern Serviansky
Lecturer in Law
Section Description
The Negotiation Workshop provides students with an experiential, simulation-based introduction to the theory and practice of negotiation. The course will consider such topics as integrative and distributive bargaining; barriers to agreement and ways to overcome them; negotiation skills such as listening, communication, and persuasion; the determinants of bargaining power; lawyer-client relationships; negotiation ethics; and the role of culture and identity in negotiation.
Students will be expected to prepare for and take part in role plays, to keep a weekly journal in which they analyze their negotiation experiences, and to participate in a final project comprising a 90-minute one-on-one negotiation and a 12-15 page written analysis of that negotiation.
Because of the experiential and team-based nature of the coursework, class attendance is required. If you anticipate missing more than one class session over the course of the term, you should not take the course, or should take it in a different term when you will not have such conflicts. Unanticipated absences due to illness or similar supervening circumstances will be accommodated as necessary; makeup activities may be required as part of the accommodation.
SPECIAL REGISTRATION / WAITLIST PROCEDURE:
Registered students must attend the first class in its entirety, or obtain advance permission to be absent, in order to hold their place on the roster. If you are unable to attend the first class meeting due to extenuating circumstances, please contact your professor beforehand to prevent your place from being given to someone else.
Waitlisted students are also required to attend the first class in its entirety, or obtain advance permission to be absent, in order to hold their place in line. In past semesters, we have been able to admit all waitlisted students who attended the first class session, so long as they were flexible about which section to take.
CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY
In order to preserve an environment conducive to free and open academic inquiry, recording the class will not be permitted without mutual approval of instructor and students, and all participants will be expected to maintain the confidentiality of class discussion. Specifically, participants may freely use and disseminate ideas and perspectives expressed in class, but no comment may be attributed to a specific individual or linked to any participant's identity or affiliation, except with that participant's express permission or as required by Columbia University policy or applicable law.
Students who would otherwise have requested class recordings for purposes of accommodating religious observance, disability, health or family emergency, or other comparable circumstances, are invited to reach out to the Office of Student Services, who will collaborate with the instructor and affected students to develop an appropriate substitute accommodation.
- School Year & Semester
- Fall 2026
- Log in above to view course meeting times and location.
- Points
- 3
- Method of Evaluation
- Other
- J.D Writing Credit?
- Minor (automatic)
Learning Outcomes
- Primary
-
- To understand and apply basic concepts of negotiation theory, including how to identify interests, when to compete and when to collaborate, how to create mutual gains, and how power, uncertainty, and timing shape potential agreements.
- To develop and exercise key negotiation skills, including empathic listening, asserting interests with confidence and tact, creative problem-solving, flexibility and adaptability, preparation, and knowing what information to seek out and what to share.
- To assess your strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies as a negotiator; and to examine how personal background, values, approaches to conflict, and cultural identities shape bargaining behavior.
- To cultivate the habits of a reflective practitioner by observing and analyzing how interactions unfold, experimenting with new approaches and learning from the results, giving and receiving feedback, and developing a commitment to continual improvement.
- To engage the ethical dimensions of negotiation by recognizing the hard choices that arise in negotiation practice and developing the judgment to make decisions that are effective, principled, and professionally responsible.
- To develop emotional intelligence by practicing empathy and perspective-taking, sharpening awareness of your own emotions and those of others, and building the capacity to regulate your emotional responses under pressure.
Course Limitations
- Instructor Pre-requisites
- None
- Instructor Co-Requisites
- None
- Requires Permission
- No
- Recommended Courses
- None
- Other Limitations
- All students must attend the first class, or obtain advance permission to be absent, in order to hold their place on the roster or the waitlist. For further details, see the course description below.