Life as a Life Science General Counsel

This is a 2-credit graded course for students who want to increase their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a general counsel in the life sciences industry. The course will cover the substantive and/or doctrinal aspects of key areas of law in order to facilitate students' understanding of the general counsel's role in leading a company's legal function and advising key stakeholders, such as the board of directors and the CEO. The course will also orient students to the work environment in a large global enterprise and will cover the role of the general counsel in leading the company through the significant changes resulting from the new U.S. administration and the global response to those changes. Although the principles and concepts covered in this course will be generally applicable to most industries, the course will be taught through the lens of the life sciences industry. To facilitate discussion and dialogue, the class will be limited to 12 students. Planned guest speakers include a CEO and a member of the board of directors of a public company. Grading will be based on engagement (class participation and overall contributions to the classroom environment), a written memorandum to a "CEO" and an oral presentation to a "board of directors."