Entrepreneurial Law Clinic

LAW8637
Section 1, Spring 25

Schedule Information

Enrollment: 12/12
Credits: 3

Course Description

Students in this clinic work with entrepreneurs who are starting new companies and have been accepted into the accelerator program at the iLab. As preparation for advising startup companies, students will participate in a series of class sessions over the first half of the semester covering the topics most frequently encountered by startup businesses; including, but not limited to, pre-venture counseling, entity choice, formation documents, shareholder agreements, IP protection, etc. Then, students will receive first-hand experience in working with real startup companies under the supervision of the course instructor and supervisor. The students will take the lead role in working with the entrepreneurs, including conducting interviews, performing research, providing a legal plan for the business, identifying documents to be drafted, and drafting documents. Please note that we will NOT provide counsel on: litigation, patents, securities regulation, tax matters, public mergers or acquisitions, or international trade.

Course Requirements

Exam Information

Final Type (if any): None

Description: None

Written Work Product

Each student will prepare a series of memoranda which may include a legal plan for each client and general legal research. Students will also prepare corporate documents, maintain regular contact with clients and supervisors, keep time and prepare memoranda summarizing client work.

Other Course Details

Prerequisites: No prerequisites, but one or more of these courses is recommended: Corporations or Corporations (Law and Business); Securities Regulation or Securities Regulation (Law and Business); Emerging Growth Companies and Venture Capital Financing: Principles and Practice; Finance of Small Enterprises (SC); Legal Practice and the Startup Company: An Inside Look (SC); Because the credits in this course count toward the JD Program Professional Skills requirement, JD candidates will be given enrollment priority for this class. Concurrencies: None

Exclusive With: None

Laptops Allowed: Yes

First Day Attendance Required: Yes

Course Resources: To be announced.

Course Notes: NOTE REGARDING ENROLLMENT: the enrollment process is described at https://www.law.virginia.edu/clinics/faqs-about-clinics#howenroll. If seats are available in this clinic after the application/lottery process, students must seek special permission from the instructors for a seat. If a student seeking a seat in this class is enrolled in another clinic, enrollment authorization from the instructors from both clinics must be provided to the Student Records Office via email ([email protected]). This course will meet throughout the semester. During the first half of the semester, there will be one session each week consisting of a substantive overview of the areas of law and issues most frequently encountered in working with start-up companies. Thereafter, we will meet once a week to review progress and address open items. We will also invite entrepreneurs to discuss their ventures and to help us better understand what has impressed or disappointed them in their prior interactions with attorneys. Laptops allowed for certain classes but not for guest lecturers.

Graduation Requirements

Satisfies Understanding Bias/Racism/Cross-Cultural Competency requirement: No

Satisfies Writing Requirement: No

Credits For Prof. Skills Requirement: Yes

Satisfies Professional Ethics: No

Additional Course Information

Schedule No.: 125210182

Modified Type: Clinical

Cross Listed: No

Waitlist Count: 0

Concentrations: Business Organization and Finance , Intellectual Property , Law and Technology

Evaluation Portal Via LawWeb Opens: Tuesday, April 22, 12:01 AM

Evaluation Portal Via LawWeb Closes: Sunday, April 27, 11:59 PM

Information reflected on this page was last refreshed at: Monday, January 20, 2025 - 7:06 AM *

*During open enrollment periods, live enrollment data may be found in SIS.