I would interview a few brokerages in the County and evaluate based on the managing broker, what is offered in terms of your status as a new licensee (mentoring, training, tech, sales support, etc.).

Can you please point us in the direction of the statute which says a licensee or an attorney can negotiate a short sale?

Here's what you're looking for - R 339.22319 rule 319 1(a) Article 25 of P.A. 299 of 1980 as amended:R 339.22319 Licensure required for owner of real estate engagingin sale as principal vocation; acts constituting principal vocation;sale of real estate owned by broker or associate broker; licensee toreveal ownership or interest when selling property licensee owns orhas interest in.Rule 319. (1) Licensure as a real estate broker is required of anowner of real estate who engages in the sale of real estate as a principalvocation, unless the owner engages the services of a real estate broker.Acts constituting a principal vocation include any of the following:(a) Engaging in more than 5 real estate sales in any 12-month period.

In California, you can go to the DRE (Department of Real Estate) website and look up any licensee for complaints.

Explain or interpret information on the listing sheets to licensees or the public,whether in person, over the telephone or over the Internet.3.

With additional edu the licensee can get a "Brokers License".

If the seller will speak directly to you, then you are certainly free to continue negotiating with him, assuming of course that you're not also a licensee.  

Looks like you are licensed Agent...fortunately the mail works just as well if not better for licensees as it does non (the majority of people in the U.S. will sell traditionally)If you spend any amount of time on the site I'm sure you've seen hundreds of conversations and thousands of pages concerning the use of mail in this business.

It's also totally unnecessary, since the AZ constitution allows RE licensees to draft all contracts (which can be confusing to people from East coast states where attorneys play a big role in RE transactions). 

I suggest you ask your broker for the specific disclosure if you have a license.You said instructor, so I assume you're not past the exam yet, you aren't a licensee and you have no disclosure requirement, yet.