BlueAtlas

Legal negotiations can be challenging. Negotiations often require attorneys to adapt their communication styles, seek to understand an otherwise unknown opponent, and compromise while meeting a client’s needs. Negotiation skills also have become increasingly important in today’s legal field. With only two percent of court cases going to trial, most cases are settled out of court through mediation and other methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

So how do law schools create an ideal environment for students to refine these valuable skills in a lifelike training environment? South Texas College of Law Houston has developed a promising method with its Inter-School Negotiation Practicum. Held once each semester, the practicum pairs students from different schools—sometimes in different time zones—and asks them to use only virtual means of communication while negotiating two sides of an actual legal case.

Let’s say you’re set on law school or maybe just exploring the possibility. With this interest comes a slew of questions that can leave you scratching your head. Where do you start? Since choosing the right law school isn’t an easy decision – and in fact, it can be overwhelming – we decided to ask the advice of an expert.
We reached out to Alicia Cramer, the Assistant Dean of Admissions at South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL Houston). Cramer has worked in law school admissions for three decades and has mentored thousands of prospective law school students navigating the complex questions that arise when deciding to pursue a J.D. degree.

Many law school graduates credit Cramer as one of their best resources during their law school selection process. In fact, it’s common for her to receive thank you letters from applicants who don’t even go to South Texas. This is the result of her guiding every applicant in a personal, non-biased way that puts the individual before the school itself.