Business and Nonprofit

The Business Law Clinic is a one-semester 3-credit learning experience for upper level students. Students learn about the transactional practice of business law in a weekly class, which also serves to guide and support students while they provide transaction-based legal assistance to small businesses, nonprofits and entrepreneurs. The clinic experience closely replicates the practice of business law.

Students work in pairs under the supervision of an experienced, licensed business law or corporate attorney on a wide variety of matters including:

• Choice of entity and entity formation;
• Nonprofit and social enterprise status;
• Ownership distribution, shareholder and member control agreements;
• Intellectual property protection, including copyrights, trademarks, licensing agreements;
• Contract drafting and review;
• Employment and independent contractor guidance;
• Review of commercial leases.

The classroom component of the course focuses on skills training, exposure to the various facets of a business law practice, engagement with guest speakers, and other hands-on learning experiences. Classroom work includes a review of transactional law, substantive legal content, working with clients, negotiation and
drafting, problem solving and communication styles, and professionalism.

What to expect when working on cases and with clients:

Students handle 2-3 client matters during the semester. The initial client meeting occurs in person in the Clinic office (Room 90, Subplaza). Additional communication typically occurs by telephone and email.

Clients find the Clinic in many ways, including from various referral sources such as: Carlson School of Management; Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD); Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA); gener8tor, Women Venture, Acara, and others.

NOTE: This course requires certification pursuant to the student practice rule and is open to JD students only.

Learn more about the Business Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic

The Environmental Law Clinic is a client-driven course based on representation of nongovernmental organizations. This Clinic will improve your skills in analyzing problems in environmental law and policy, and allow you to work directly with advocates on environmental issues. Our clients are typically nonprofits or other nongovernmental entities seeking legal advice on advocacy in the legislative or regulatory arenas related to a wide range of environmental issues, including clean water, renewable energy, utilities law and concentrated animal feeding operations.

This year-long Clinic engages in projects related to achieving environmental and energy sustainability through the management of land, water and energy resources. Projects often include the following: (1) providing advice to local NGOs; (2) representation of NGOs before an administrative state body; (3) production of legal research reports; (4) support organizations participating in regulatory decision-making processes, such as the Public Utilities Commission; and (5) education or advocacy presentations to citizens and elected or appointed decision-makers. Client management skills and legal research methods are honed throughout the year-long projects.

Examples of past clients/projects include:

• Supported nonprofits on submission of expert testimony, evidentiary hearing and post-hearing briefing on the cost of pollutants emitted by large energy facilities
• Assisted with legislative work of an animal rights group on the environmental law related to concentrated animal feeding operations
• Provided policy and legal advice to a consortium of water quality advocacy groups on strategies for improving groundwater quality and the application of the Clean Water Act by state agencies
• Assisted a nonprofit in writing comments on solar energy valuation for the Public Utilities Commission.

Additional Commitments: Cases are managed in partnership with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.

What to expect when working on cases and with clients: Typically the clinic takes on 2 - 4 year-long projects that require the students to work in small groups directly with clients in developing the scope of the project, conducting research, supporting the clients' advocacy work and completing a final product.

NOTE: This course requires certification pursuant to the student practice rule and is open to JD students only.

Learn more about the Environment & Energy Law Clinic

The Intellectual Property (IP) Clinic is a 2-credit course offered in Spring Semester.  The IP Clinic provides members of the local community an opportunity to obtain legal assistance in matters involving intellectual property, such as copyrightable works, trademarks, patents, and confidentiality obligations.  An important goal of the IP Clinic is to provide students with the opportunity to engage with clients on an array of IP-related issues.

The clinic will not handle litigation, arbitration, or any other type of dispute (though in some instances the IP Clinic may provide general advice and counsel so a client may independently assess the merits of a potential claim).  Clinic clients may include artists, small businesses, students, authors, non-profit organizations, and solo inventors.

Students will attend weekly classes involving a mixture of discussing substantive intellectual property topics, preparing for forthcoming in-person client meetings, and reviewing past matters.  In-class discussions will cover a variety of core IP issues that practitioners are likely to encounter.  Take trademarks, for example: Emphasis will be placed on learning the capabilities and how to use https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks rather than studying statutory text and case law for the Lanham Act.

Beginning the second or third week of the semester, students will be expected to begin working directly with clients.  Student attorneys will interview clients and engage in problem solving and counseling.  Student performance will be evaluated based on classroom engagement, participation, client interaction, and class attendance.

Students will meet with clients in person or over zoom.  Most client issues will be addressed during a 1-2 hour in-person meeting at the Law School.  Depending on the complexity of the matters presented, clients may opt to return to a later workshop, or they may be referred elsewhere for representation.  In some instances, the IP Clinic may provide legal services over the course of the semester.

Learn more about the Intellectual Property Clinic Course 

Interested in becoming a client? Submit your information via the Client Application Form

Student attorneys in the Sports & NIL Clinic will work with and assist clients attending institutions across the Upper Midwest, notably student-athletes and social media influencers, in navigating the rapidly changing landscape of name, image, and likeness. Specifically, student attorneys in the clinic will work with these clients as it relates to partnerships with brands and being able to leverage the clients' newly recognized Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights. The Sports & NIL Clinic is a placement clinic, and clients will be entering into representation agreements with attorneys at Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

NIL is a rapidly evolving area of law, and students, especially those participating in athletics, may be able to profit on their NIL rights. The Clinic will represent students for whom paid representation is not feasible in their circumstances. Student attorneys participating in the clinic will work with clients in several ways. For example, the University of Minnesota has a policy that any brand partnership entered into by a student-athlete cannot conflict with existing contractual agreements the University may have. The student attorneys can assist these student-athletes by conducting contractual cross-referencing to ensure compliance with this requirement. Additionally, the student attorneys can assist with due diligence regarding brands offering their partnership, assist with document drafting for compliance purposes, and review the contracts these brands are proposing to the clinic clients.

Learn more about the Sports & NIL Clinic

Interested in becoming a client? Submit your information via the Client Intake Form