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In her second year of law school, Sarah took a night class called Negotiation, taught by an adjunct professor whose day job was as a litigator in one of the bigger law firms in L.A.
It was different from any other class she had taken so far, mainly because it was practical. He didn’t assign some textbook in negotiation. Instead he told war stories, gave specific examples from his years on the front lines, and made the students practice their skills in front of him.
So much of what he taught was the psychology of dealing with an opponent: how to assess the other lawyer’s personal weaknesses, including pride, fear, and the need to always look good.
One night it was Sarah’s turn, along with a classmate of hers named Troy, to practice a negotiation in front of the class. The professor g
