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California Desert Trial Academy College Of Law

Bargaining: You Must be Patient, Persistent & Calculating

bargaining

We’ve all had to bargain at one time or another. At an early age, you may have found yourself attempting to bargain with your parents, whether in offering to do more chores in order to stay out late on a weekend, cajoling a sibling out of the last piece of dessert, or trying to borrow a coveted item. Perhaps you have always been more persuasive than others or consistently enjoyed exercises like debating or arguing your point. One thing is for sure: if you are overwhelmed during the negotiation process, or prone to blowing your top, you won’t get far—especially as...

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The Art of Negotiation Rarely Comes Naturally

art of negotiation

Growing up, you may have had a propensity for arguing (ahem, debating!) that prompted family and friends to suggest a career in law so you could continue with the art of negotiation. Steadfast in the courage of your convictions, you may often find that you have a point to prove, or perhaps you enjoy playing devil’s advocate. Steady arguing may become tiring in some circles, but if you are seeking a future in practicing law, it could become one of the most important skills—and one that you must continually fine-tune as your practice expands over the years. As an attorney, your...

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Understanding Alternative Dispute Resolution & Why It Works

Whether you are just entering law school or a new practice, understanding alternative dispute resolution will help you in your career immensely. Although it does not involve litigation or going to trial, methods like mediation and arbitration may sometimes be required by the court, used to push a case along further, or they may be all that is required for coming to an agreement. Arbitration or mediation may be less formal than the court atmosphere, but it is not often that the results are overturned—and once settlement agreements have been signed by all parties involved after a resolution is reached,...

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Think You are a Natural Negotiator? Probably Not!

natural negotiator

You may be a natural negotiator, enjoying the art of the deal, and the thrill of winning in a debate so much that you decided a career in law was the obvious move. Along with being able to argue and win a point, a skilled lawyer must also be adept at thinking analytically, researching all details relevant to a case, and communicating clearly. Fine-tuning these skills can be challenging, as the many hours dedicated to studying in law school will usually prove. And while you will find that it is necessary to be smooth at both arguing and achieving resolution...

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Establishing Focal Points at the Bargaining Table

bargaining table

It is important to arrive at the bargaining table completely prepared. With court appearances, new cases to deal with, and the hectic pace of managing your law practice in the future, however, you may find that to be a difficult task to follow through with sometimes. Flying by the seat of your pants during a negotiation is a great way to find yourself completely embarrassed though, as well as on the losing end for a client who may be relying on you to close a very important deal. Along with compiling background on the other side before arriving (this includes basic...

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Weak Writing Skills? Why You Will Need to Improve Them for Your Law Career

weak writing skills

Good writing comes from an enormous amount of practice. While you may love to read and writing may come easy, if you are planning to pursue a career in law, your communication skills in putting pen to paper must become finely-tuned. And this does not mean writing in excruciating legalese either! The best writers can communicate clearly and in as interesting a manner as possible, although that may sometimes be challenging if the subject matter is extremely technical or just plain old dry. An attorney’s day is often spent researching, reading, poring over long documents, and writing on matters that may...

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Listening is Your Secret Weapon as a Negotiator: How to Improve Your Skills

secret weapon

We all know that one person who is skilled at handling any argument, backing the other party into a corner, and often making them wish they had not started a debate at all as negotiating is their secret weapon! For many, this is a natural art that is built on through the years with practice and often a variety of different educational sources to include attending a variety of communication classes, participating on debate teams, and more. If you are this person, however, and you are striving toward a law degree, it is vital to take as many courses on...

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When the Other Side is Not Flexible: The Best Methods for Negotiating Challenge

negotiating challenge

It would be wonderful if all negotiations were cut and dry, with all parties involved approaching the process with an open mind and open heart, resulting in agreements reached seamlessly and no conflict; however, that is all too often not the case and you will be forced into negotiating challenge. As an attorney, you will find that your life is filled with negotiations of every kind, and most of them must be controlled strategically. Giving answers in a hurry, hoping to get a phone call out of the way or a quick agreement off your list of things to do...

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The World Today Offers So Many Online Conveniences, Including Education

online conveniences

From paperless to wireless to almost everything available online, if you are into efficiency today you probably perform a wide range of tasks online from researching items to looking up phone numbers and addresses to shopping and making monthly payments on everything from your home to your car to credit cards and more, involving online conveniences. A real global gamechanger, however, is the ability to attain an education online too. Many high-school and college students have already integrated online coursework into their curriculum, but such classes are usually peripheral or considered enhancements to the requirements for being in school. Colleges and...

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Playing Hardball is Not Always the Best Choice in Negotiation

playing hardball

Negotiating is not just an art, but a multi-faceted one. A tool for reaching agreements through what is sometimes extended and even difficult discussions, negotiating is often used to break through disagreements, with the hopes of avoiding further arguing or dispute. And although it may seem manipulating to hone your negotiating skills for the sake of ‘winning,’ in the end being a skilled negotiator just means being a master listener—and communicator. There are many different techniques you can employ as a negotiator, but some may be more applicable to your personality overall; for instance, you may have a more aggressive or...

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