Entrepreneurial Law Clinic

Eligibility

Information for Students

Student Prerequisites and Tracks in the ELC

Each law student's clinical practice will follow one of three tracks noted below — only associated prerequisites for that track are required; enrollment preference will be given for advanced courses:

Business Law Track:
Business Organizations (A515) AND ONE OF Securities Regulation (A517); Venture Capital Deals (F511); Mergers and Acquisitions (A534); Recommended — Drafting Business Documents (B536); Problems in Professional Responsibility (B510)

Intellectual Property Track: Any 2 of Patent Law (P508), Copyright Law (P507), or Trademark & Trade Secrets Law (P502); Recommended — Advanced Patent Law (P545); Advanced Trademark Law (P546); Patent Prosecution (P550); Problems in Professional Responsibility (B510)

Tax Track: Taxation of Corporations & Shareholders (T501) OR Taxation of Partners & Partnerships (T511) OR Taxation of S Corporations (T518); Recommended — Introduction to Income Taxation (T505); Income Taxation and Business Investments (T504); Tax Issues in Mergers and Acquisitions (T530); Problems in Professional Responsibility (B510)

Students interested in participating in the ELC must submit an application. We strongly advise students to turn in their applications by the deadline. Please note that the ELC accepts third year law school students and LLM students; joint degree students are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Clinic Structure, Student Requirements and Projects

Law students are asked to commit to three quarters of the ELC for three credits per quarter.  Students will be assigned to work in teams to represent clients in each of the three quarters; each team receives supervision, guidance and direction from specialized practicing attorneys and the clinic director. In Fall quarter, student teams represent a client by producing a comprehensive 360-degree legal audit memo addressing the client’s most relevant legal issues by scheduling and leading client and supervisor meetings, researching and drafting a comprehensive legal audit memo, presenting findings to their peers, and problem-solving effective strategies for client representation. The student team is responsible for producing and presenting the audit memo to the client by the end of the quarter in which it is assigned. In Winter, students typically continue representation of their fall clients by actioning one or more of the recommendations in the audit memo (e.g., drafting agreements, entity formation materials, intellectual property analysis such as prior art searches and drafting USPTO applications) and take on a new client where a second audit memo is researched and produced.  In Spring, students continue representation of existing clients and may provide targeted legal counseling for a new client.

Students meeting US Patent & Trademark Office criteria are eligible for a limited license to practice with the USPTO.  All students received a WA State Rule 9 limited license to practice as part of client representation.

The ELC strives to give students an opportunity to work with clients from each of the following groups during their time in the clinic:

  • Technology entrepreneurs
  • Life sciences and health care startups
  • Small business owners
  • Social entrepreneurs and nonprofits
  • UW faculty, students and researchers

During the academic year, students are assigned at least one community outreach project (e.g., presentations to CoMotion and Buerk Center innovators or to graduate students on basic corporate or intellectual property law; patent law support for CoMotion innovators). Community outreach projects vary.

Students attend a two-hour seminar weekly where they learn key legal concepts applicable to entrepreneurship and hear from guest speakers (e.g., General Counsel, law firm partners, technology attorneys, founders). During seminars, students also participate in Case Rounds where they prepare a PowerPoint presentation describing the client’s business and potential legal issues. Through this model, students present on active client matters and participate in discussions with their peers to problem-solve and identify emerging legal issues with respect to their clients.

Typical Cases

The ELC provides advice regarding the following, among other areas:

  • Entity selection and formation
  • Licensing
  • Securities regulations
  • Federal, state and local tax issues
  • Intellectual property protections (patent, trademark, trade secrets, copyright)
  • Commercial and entity-related contracts (e.g., operating agreements, master services agreements, NDAs, Work for Hire)
  • Employees and independent contractors

Skills Focus

  • Client interviewing and counseling
  • Application of substantive law to actual client representation
  • Drafting client memos, contracts, business formation and regulatory compliance documents, among many others
  • Effective and appropriate methods of communication
  • Legal research
  • Managing ethical issues, particularly conflict of interest
  • Cross-cultural competency
  • Professionalism
  • Project and time management

Benefits of the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic

  • Building capabilities to be a strong legal and business professional by assessing and prioritizing legal risk
  • See the big picture by performing a comprehensive legal analysis and strategy within a team that is often reserved for senior associates and partners at law firms
  • Experience the beginning of a new venture and aid in its development
  • Apply knowledge of IP, business transaction and tax strategies to the real world under the direction of the Director and supervising attorneys
  • • Limited license to practice with the USPTO, gaining valuable experience

For more information, please contact the ELC at (206) 616-5854 or email elcinfo@uw.edu.