Think You are a Natural Negotiator? Probably Not!
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 through negotiation, learning to be a good listener is one of the greatest—and most challenging—talents you can ever possess.
Negotiating is a multi-faceted talent, and law schools like the California Desert Trial Academy College of Law require students to take classes in soft skills such as negotiation, educating future trial attorneys in the importance of preparing and researching to know the opponent, understanding which types of techniques should be used and when, communicating effectively, establishing credibility, and making an offer at the proper time. In the end, if you are not a strong negotiator, you will not be a strong attorney! This applies to many different types of practices, from businesses and mergers and acquisitions, to injury claims, and many other types of matters requiring discussion over financial matters or dispute resolution.
Your personality may be assertive, leading you to a more aggressive or competitive stance, but in many cases you may over time learn to adapt in order to achieve a win-win outcome over a win-lose outcome. Negotiating can be much trickier than you may realize, but as you learn what type of information to gather about your ‘opponent,’ how to ask for what your client wants without giving away too much or infuriating the other party, along with maintaining the central focus, your reputation as a negotiator will grow over the years. You may even find yourself negotiating with the same legal teams and other businesses more than once.
Other soft skills taught at CDTA are
- Time management and organization
- Legal writing
- Enterprise management
- Presentation
- Legal research
- Critical thinking
- Core values review
- Creative thinking
- Professionalism
- Ethics and conduct
Are you interested in becoming a skilled negotiator? Our mission at CDTA College of Law is to educate, train, and develop extraordinary legal advocates. Your legal education will be comprised of bar-tested academic subjects, skills training, and values reinforcement. Upon completion of your 4-year course of study you will be fully qualified to take and pass the California Bar examination. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.