FH USU Public Relations: (September 28, 2026), the Master's Program in Law Studies, Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), organized the activity “Legal Negotiation Skills for Dispute Resolution” as an effort to improve students' understanding and skills in applying legal negotiation strategies as an approach to dispute resolution. This activity was carried out in collaboration with the International Mediation and Arbitration Center (IMAC) IMAC 1 Medan Representative Office.

This activity was one form of strengthening institutional cooperation, marked by the signing of an Implementation Agreement (IA) between the IMAC 1 Medan Representative Office and the Master's Program in Law Studies, Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara. This cooperation is expected to strengthen the relationship between academia and professional institutions in developing legal competencies, particularly in the fields of negotiation and dispute resolution.

The activity was attended by Dr. Agusmidah, S.H., M.Hum. (Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Alumni Affairs, Faculty of Law USU), representing the Dean of the Faculty of Law, USU. Also present were Dr. Mahmud Mulyadi, S.H., M.Hum. (Head of the Master's Program in Law Studies, USU), Dr. Rosmalinda, S.H., LL.M., CIM (Secretary of the Master's Program in Law Studies, USU), and Siti Khairunnissa, S.H., M.H. (Lecturer at the Faculty of Law USU), who served as the moderator.

The main speaker at this activity was Dr. Deni A. Purba, S.H., LL.M., MCIArb., Dipl.Arb., CIM (Head of the IMAC Medan Representative Office). The activity was attended by students of the Undergraduate and Master's Programs of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara, who had the opportunity to discuss directly the practice of legal negotiation in dispute resolution directly.

In her remarks, Dr. Agusmidah, S.H., M.Hum. (Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Alumni Affairs, Faculty of Law USU) stated that academic activities such as this provide an important opportunity for students to broaden their knowledge and improve practical skills beyond classroom learning.

“Take advantage of today's meeting for knowledge and skills, because if it is only in the classroom, it is limited. It is the knowledge that we must gain,” said Dr. Agusmidah.

Meanwhile, Siti Khairunnissa, S.H., M.H. (Lecturer at the Faculty of Law USU), as the moderator, stated that this activity aimed to provide an understanding of the application of legal negotiation in dealing with various forms of disputes.

“Our activity today is to understand how legal negotiation is applied in disputes,” said Siti Khairunnissa.

In his presentation, Dr. Deni A. Purba, S.H., LL.M., MCIArb., Dipl.Arb., CIM (Head of the IMAC Medan Representative Office) explained that the success of a negotiation is largely determined by thorough preparation. According to him, there are three main things that must always be considered before entering the negotiation table: “Preparation, preparation, preparation.”

Furthermore, Dr. Deni explained that there are seven main principles of negotiation developed through the Harvard Law School Negotiation Project approach. The first principle is interests, namely understanding the motives and interests of each party, because a successful negotiation is a process capable of bringing together the interests of the disputing parties. The next principle is options, namely the ability to provide various alternative choices during the negotiation process.

The next principle is legitimacy, namely the use of objective standards or measures so that the negotiation process remains within the appropriate framework. There is also the principle of alternatives or BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement), namely the ability to understand the best alternative if an agreement cannot be reached. The principle of commitment emphasizes the importance of ensuring that an agreement has clear substance and can be implemented by the parties.

In addition to substantive aspects, Dr. Deni also explained the importance of process aspects in negotiation through the principles of communication and relationship. In the negotiation process, the parties must be able to establish effective communication by separating the people from the problems they are facing. Relationships between the parties also need to be maintained so that dispute resolution can proceed constructively.

According to Dr. Deni, the principles of interests, options, legitimacy, alternatives, and commitment are part of the substance aspect of negotiation, while the principles of communication and relationship are part of the process aspect that determines the success of relationships and communication during negotiations.

In her concluding presentation, Siti Khairunnissa, S.H., M.H., as the moderator, emphasized that negotiation is not merely a process of bargaining over numbers or specific interests, but a process of understanding the interests of the parties and seeking a mutually acceptable solution. A negotiator also needs to prepare various settlement options rather than focusing only on a single demand, so that room for reaching an agreement remains open.

Furthermore, the moderator stated that a strong agreement must be built on objective criteria or legitimacy, rather than merely through pressure during the negotiation process. Understanding BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) is also important for a negotiator to identify the best alternative if an agreement cannot be reached.

In addition, the results of the negotiation process must be set out in the form of clear, measurable, and implementable commitments. The moderator also emphasized that the success of negotiation is greatly influenced by the quality of communication and relationships between the parties because, in many disputes, although the parties may have conflicting interests at a particular time, they may still interact again and build relationships in the future.

The activity featured interactive discussions between the speaker and students. Participants gained an understanding of the strategies, approaches, and practical skills required to conduct legal negotiations, both in the context of dispute resolution and professional legal practice.

Through this activity, the Master's Program in Law Studies, Faculty of Law USU, demonstrated its commitment to providing legal education that is oriented not only toward mastery of theory but also toward the development of practical skills relevant to the needs of the legal profession.

The activity “Legal Negotiation Skills for Dispute Resolution” also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through improving the quality of education and student competencies, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) through strengthening professional skills, SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) through the development of fair and peaceful dispute resolution mechanisms, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions and professional institutions.

Through cooperation with the International Mediation and Arbitration Center (IMAC) IMAC 1 Medan Representative Office, the Master's Program in Law Studies, USU, continues to expand its academic and professional networks to produce law graduates with competence, integrity, and the ability to address future challenges in dispute resolution.