The Patman Center is affiliated with a variety of coursework through the LBJ School of Public Affairs, including Skills for Civic Leadership, Skills for Winning Campaigns and Elections, Moral Dilemmas in Public Affairs, and more. The goal of providing these courses is to teach students the skills they need to exemplify an ethos of civility, service, and bipartisanship as they enter into their professional lives. Along these lines, we are pleased to announce that the course Negotiation in Public Affairs will be offered for the second time in the upcoming Spring 2027 semester.
This Negotiations in Public Affairs class provides intensive training in negotiation theory and practice for students aspiring to be public affairs professionals. Each class session combines foundational readings with hands-on negotiation exercises that simulate real-world public policy challenges. Students will develop practical skills in multi-party negotiations, coalition building, interest-based bargaining, and conflict resolution while learning the theoretical frameworks that explain negotiation dynamics.
The simulation aspect of this course is particularly engaging for students, as it touches on real-world issues students care about like labor unions, affordable housing, municipal governance and more. Each simulation gives students the opportunity to develop their skills in interest based bargaining techniques, crisis management in negotiation, and core negotiation concepts like BATNA, ZOPA, anchoring and more. Additionally, the course pushes students to meaningfully consider the ethics of negotiation, the nuances of negotiating cross-culturally, and the need to fully understand the context of your negotiation before identifying your strategy.
The course is taught by UT Law professor, Jonathan Lass. Professor Lass specializes in cybersecurity and has taught a class on negotiations since becoming an adjunct faculty member in 2017. He has also taught a financial methods class for Texas Law and an undergraduate law and ethics class at the McCombs School of Business. An Austin-based equity partner at Jackson Walker, Professor Lass specializes in technology and mergers and acquisitions. In 2022, the Student Bar Association awarded him the Adjunct Professor of the Year Award.
This course is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the LBJ School. We encourage students to consider taking this course when registration opens in November. Not only is it a great opportunity to learn from someone with a legal negotiation background and apply those lessons to a career in public affairs, the course also offers a chance for students to practice difficult dialogue and build the skills they need to successful negotiate in any context.
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Iliana Flores-DuMond
Iliana is a proud UT Alumna who earned a bachelor's in Government at the university. After graduating she pursued a career in civic education, working with K-12 students from across the state to educate about the structure of government and the role youth play in engaging as citizens in their communities. As the Program Coordinator for YMCA Texas Youth and Government she helped to recruit and train volunteers, plan events for over 1,300 young Texans, and provide supports to educators across the state working to build the next generation of civic leaders. Along similar lines, she is now putting her experience in the civic education arena into practice as The Patman Center program coordinator.