South Texas College of Law Houston is proud to announce the creation of an Inter-School Negotiation Practicum to begin this fall. The purpose of this project is to provide students from around the country the opportunity to enhance their skills training in an environment that more closely aligns with practice. Lawyers negotiate primarily via email/phone with clients and opposing counsel they do not necessarily know. This project will provide students the opportunity to engage in a negotiation simulation with a student from another law school in another city (or even country). For more information, please call 713-646-2997 or email Debra Berman at dberman@stcl.edu.
FAQs for Students
Who is eligible to participate?
Any student with 30+ credit hours
When will this exercise take place?
Students will have from October 1st through the 31st to complete the negotiation.
Who will I be negotiating with?
We will pair you with a student from another law school. On October 1st, you will receive your partner’s contact information along with the relevant information from your client.
What type of fact pattern will I be negotiating?
This fall, all participants will do a transactional negotiation. During the spring semester, we will switch to a pre-litigation fact pattern. Even if you are not interested in transactional work after graduation, this will still provide an opportunity for you to practice relevant communication skills regardless of the type of practice you enter into.
Must I be enrolled in an ADR class to participate?
No, you do not need to be enrolled in a class. Any student may elect to participate and there is also no pre-requisite that you have any previous negotiation training. This is designed to be a fairly straightforward exercise that any student, regardless of training, can participate in. If you are not enrolled in an ADR class and you would like to sign up, all you need to do is fill out the application.
Does there need to be a faculty contact/advisor at my school in order for me to participate?
Ideally, yes. We strongly encourage all participants to debrief with an ADR/Negotiation professor following the exercise. If there is no one at your school willing and/or able to do so, please let us know and we will try to pair you with one.
What happens if my partner and I do not reach an agreement?
Technically, nothing. However, the goal is for this to closely resemble “real-life.” When lawyers represent clients, there is almost always some form of a deadline. Therefore, we suggest doing your absolute best to reach a deal within the allotted time frame.
Will the Practicum be offered again in the spring?
Yes, we plan on organizing this again during the spring semester (and possibly during the summer if there is enough interest). You may participate in the spring even if you already participated in the fall.
Negotiator Commitments
- Negotiators must use the following three modes of communication at least once: email, phone, and video conferencing (FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, etc.)
- Initial correspondence must be made by noon (CST) on Monday, October 7th. If you fail to correspond with your partner by that time, you will be removed from the practicum.
- Negotiators agree to take this exercise seriously and participate in good faith. If you cannot commit to doing so, please do not sign up.
- All communications with your partner are to remain confidential.
- The deadline to reach an agreement is October 31st at 5:00pm CST.
- Once you complete the exercise, you agree to submit answers to a brief questionnaire.
- Have fun!
Thank you for your interest in participating in the inaugural Inter-School Negotiation Practicum. Please fill out the application below and we will then pair you with a student from another law school. This application must be submitted no later than Friday, September 13th at 5pm (CST).