Prerequisites: Negotiation Workshop. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory in order to accommodate various group exercises and simulations.

Exam Type: No Exam

Lawyers facilitate. We routinely handle matters that require us to lead groups of people to work together in order to solve problems, reach decisions, and resolve conflicts. We collaborate with clients and colleagues to develop legal strategies, negotiate complex deals, build consensus on policy proposals, and coordinate with colleagues around duties and responsibilities. We may work with community stakeholders, family members, or local officials to increase understanding, resolve a dilemma, or re-build trust. And facilitation is not limited to legal practice – entrepreneurs, consultants, public officials, for-profit and non-profit executives alike facilitate. Yet despite how integral this work is to the modern workplace, few lawyers or other professionals receive training in how to organize, run, and effectively facilitate gatherings of people – especially when there are strong emotions involved.

This workshop introduces students to the theory and practice of facilitation, both in traditional legal as well as non-legal contexts. It provides opportunities for students to develop the skills necessary to run effective meetings, work with people in conflict, lead group problem-solving efforts, and more. Like the Law School’s Negotiation Workshop, this Workshop will integrate intellectual and experiential learning by combining readings, lectures, and discussions with frequent exercises, extensive review, live and filmed examples, individual and small group reviews, and careful analysis of the facilitation process and the process of learning from experience. In addition to traditional facilitation skills, we will explore thorny questions of power, inclusion, emotions, and identity.