Startup Law Clinic

THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have formally applied to and been accepted to the Startup Law Clinic. The Startup Law Clinic is a full-year clinic that provides students the opportunity to perform work for real clients on a variety of matters typically encountered by entrepreneurs in launching new business ventures, such as choice of entity, capital structure, equity allocation and compensation, intellectual property ownership and licensing, financing and employment arrangements. Students will also learn, through their first-hand client work, the ethical rules of professional responsibility regarding entity representation, including identification of the client, identifying potential conflicts of interest, and advising clients and associated persons as to the nature and implications of the attorney-client relationship. In addition to their fieldwork, students attend a weekly seminar that develops concepts and skills to support their fieldwork. The seminar features substantive lectures, student-led discussions and guest speakers, and students present and discuss their ongoing client matters. The clinic meets for two semesters, with more advanced seminar topics and increased responsibility for cases occurring in the spring semester. PRE/CO-REQUISITE: Corporations. Students are also strongly encouraged to take Contract Drafting and some intellectual property coursework (the IP survey course and/or other subject-matter-specific courses). NOTE: This clinic counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option.