Business Transactions Clinic

Course Description

Client Work

The Clinic provides free business, transactional and advisory legal services to nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, cooperatives, and under-resourced entrepreneurs and small businesses that operate in areas of concern to the public. Our services do not include trademark or patent applications, tax filings or advice, litigation, or dispute resolution.

Seminar

The Clinic includes a weekly seminar. The seminar teaches a core set of skills that apply to a wide range of transactional contexts students may encounter as they enter practice, focused on communicating effectively with clients and colleagues; evaluating how to structure deals, relationships, and organizational governance; identifying and helping clients navigate legal and regulatory obligations and challenges affecting their planned activities; managing process and workflow in a collaborative, proactive, and well-organized manner; developing drafting skills; and analyzing potential ethical issues.

Seminar time also includes a variety of in-class exercises aimed at developing core legal skills and critical capacities. Many of these exercises call for students to collaborate with their classmates.

Time Commitment

The seminar meets once a week for two hours. Students must attend every seminar. Before each class, they must read all assigned materials and occasionally prepare for presentations and other activities in collaboration with classmates.

In addition, students attend regular team meetings with their partners and Clinic faculty to discuss client work. They also participate in separate calls and meetings with clients throughout the semester. We accommodate students’ course schedules and other responsibilities when arranging these activities. As in any clinic at the Law School, students should expect to spend an average of 10 to 20 hours per week on client work.

* Consult the Clinics Open to LL.M. Students page to see if the clinic is available to LL.M.s in the current year. Note that space in the Business Transactions Clinic is limited and typically fills with JDs.

** 5 credits include 3 clinical credits and 2 academic seminar credits.