This 24-hour professional course provides a comprehensive introduction to the legal, administrative, and negotiation skills required to manage construction contracts effectively. Students learn how to interpret and manage construction documents, understand key contract clauses, navigate project risk, and apply ethical and legal standards in construction decision-making.
The course emphasizes real-world contract analysis, hands-on review of industry-standard agreements (AIA and ConsensusDocs), and practical negotiation strategies used by construction managers, owners, and contractors. Students will participate in guided exercises, insurance reviews, and structured negotiation role-plays to build confidence in managing and negotiating construction agreements.
Topics Include:
- Understanding construction contract law and essential contract clauses
- Roles and responsibilities of owners, contractors, architects, and subcontractors
- Insurance, bonding, indemnification, and Certificates of Insurance (COIs)
- Ethics and compliance, including NJ Consumer Fraud Act requirements
- Negotiation strategies (BATNA, anchoring, Jim Camp Method)
- Negotiating commercial terms, change orders, scope gaps, and disputes
- Using digital tools for contract workflows (Procore, DocuSign, Bluebeam)
- Mediation, arbitration, dispute prevention, and documentation best practices
Textbooks, materials, ID card, and exam fees are not included. Course texts and contract documents will be provided by the instructor. Additional resources are available in the college library.
Prerequisites: No prior legal or negotiation experience required.
Total Program Hours: 24 Hours
Required Textbook or Course Materials: Conflict Resilience by Robert Bordone & Joel Salinas Available on Amazon. All additional required readings, contract templates, and insurance examples will be provided in class or as PDFs.
Instructor: John Norton, Esq. [email protected]
Instructor’s WebEx Room: https://bergen.webex.com/meet/jnorton1