Law Student Finds New Opportunities in 'Successful Negotiation' Course

As a law student, the power of persuasion is especially important to Sivadath Madu Menon, a fourth-year law student based in Kerala, India. Menon also co-founded an online law journal, and as someone who leads an organization and connects with businesses worldwide, he also felt like he could bolster his negotiation skills. 

During the COVID-19 shutdown, Menon explored online learning opportunities and found the “Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills” course available on Michigan Online and Coursera. 

“When the whole world was connected virtually, it gave us a chance to convert adversity into an opportunity,” Menon says. “In my experience as a student of law and co-founder, the art of negotiation is something that must always be learned and mastered.” 

He took an instant liking to George Siedel and his approach. Seidel, now professor emeritus at Michigan Ross has seen more than one million enrollments in his course since it launched in 2014.

"I admire his lecture style, and the way he provides examples. I felt as if I was attending a class with an authority in the field of negotiation. The syllabus/curriculum of the course itself shows how carefully it has been designed with quizzes and case scenarios in each module.”

Menon so enjoyed his learning experience he reached out directly to Siedel, who agreed to host a virtual presentation for young lawyers and law students on the importance of negotiation skills.

While Menon is happy to see the worst of the COVID-19 lockdowns behind us, he says he appreciates the new normal of virtual work and virtual learning because it opened up all new opportunities to learn from the world’s leading educators.

“I wanted to learn from an authority in the field at a world-class institution like the University of Michigan, and this online course gave me that chance.”