Effective Decision Making: Judgment & Critical Thinking
POSTPONED until 2020 (Date TBA)
The Conflict Lab, 5167 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Faculty: Robert A. Creo, Esq. & Selina J. Shultz, Esq., LL.M.
5 CLE Credits (4 Substantive and 1 Ethics): $190
2019 Professional Development Course for CLE Credits
Effective lawyers blend and balance the roles of advocate, counselor, and ethical practitioner by solving human and business problems in an efficient and valuable manner. Learn about the roles, goals, skills, and attributes that are most important for sound judgement and decision making for lawyers from two experienced attorneys, mediators, and educators, Robert A. Creo and Selina J. Shultz. The goal of the course is to help lawyers improve the quality of decisions made under risk and uncertainty. The course teaches a four step method developed by Creo, which can ground and guide decisions by lawyers.
Course Description
Few practicing lawyers ever try cases in front of juries or even judges. Over 98% of cases filed in courts are resolved by other means. However, lawyers still make hundreds of decisions during the course of advising a client, consummating a transaction, or litigating a case. Research has shown that most attorneys are actually poor predictors of actual outcomes, yet the reigning expectation is that attorneys are well-equipped to make decisions regarding settlements and transactions based upon the accurate predictions of outcomes, which is a large part of why clients hire them. This course introduces the lawyer to the latest understanding of how and why people make specific choices. Decisions result from the interplay of a myriad of rational, emotional, biological, relational, cultural, motivational and other factors grounded in each of our own professional and personal identities, values, expectations, and experiences. With a cross-disciplinary approach, the course focuses on the theory, science, and practical aspects of how decisions are made by the legal community.
Workshop Format & Topics
Lectures, discussion, and interactive workshop with a pizza lunch and breaks provided by Professors Creo and Shultz. The course will be limited to 30 attendees for $190 and will be held at The Conflict Lab in Pittsburgh in 2020 (date TBA).
- Introduction, Administrative Details and Program Overview
- Psychological Shortcuts that Affect Decision Making
- Strategies to Overcome Cognitive Biases and Decision Error
- Common Traits of Effective Decision Makers