The University of Colorado at Boulder Law School

Entrepreneurial Law Clinic

• Professor, Entrepreneurial Law Clinic: Brad Bernthal
• Course Number and Description
• Mission
• Clients
• Scope
• Type of Legal Assistance
• Become a Client: Info for Entrepreneurs
• Student Resources
• Entrepreneurial Law Certificate
• Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship

Mission

The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC) provides transactional legal services for Colorado start-ups and small businesses. New businesses typically involve uncertainty and risk for cash-strapped entrepreneurs. Yet, when those businesses succeed, they create positive economic effects in the surrounding community. By assisting entrepreneurs when they need help the most, the ELC provides Colorado Law students hands-on opportunities to make a difference, especially for students who believe they may utilize the experience in future positions, such as in a law firm practice, in a company’s in-house position, or as an entrepreneur.

The ELC pursues complementary student and client goals:

• Provide a rigorous and practical educational experience by serving as an inspiration for students interested in transactional law
• Promote ethical values in transactional lawyers
• Provide outreach that connects to communities outside the law school and serves clients that would otherwise remain under-served by the practicing bar

Clients

ELC clients include individual entrepreneurs, start-up companies, students (such as the winners of the CU-Denver BARD Center for Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition), and entrepreneurs with special needs. The Clinic also assists in the process of commercializing University-developed technology by representing faculty members and companies working with the CU’s Technology Transfer Office and provides legal services to members of the local start-up community, such as the Colorado Technology Incubator (CSTI).

Representative Clients:

• Ski Fitting Science LLC is a custom ski fitter and manufacturer that is currently in the process of opening operations headquartered in Longmont, CO. It was started by an MBA student at the CU-Boulder and is quickly developing its business.
• Dealerslink has played an integral role in auto dealer evolution. Every dealer must be able to effectively integrate technology and web concepts into a well-coordinated sales strategy. Dealerslink ensures that dealers remain on the progressive side of the digital divide, via consulting, web design and maintenance, and the Dealerslink Network.
• Jessup & Associates LLC is a marketing and consulting firm, started by a business student at the CU-Boulder. J&A runs Gootta.com ("Get Out on the Town Already"), an online social guide for Boulder, CO. ELC assisted J&A with issues relating to formation, contracts, trademarks, and e-commerce.

Scope

ELC is a graded two-semester course (four credit hours for the year); work may exceed credit received. Each clinic is limited to 12 students. Class time is divided between selected topic and accompanying readings (often with expert guests), and client interaction and work product. Students are supervised by the ELC Director in collaboration with generous contributions from attorneys from the Boulder office of Hogan & Hartson. Students work directly with clients to provide advice, draft documents, and research legal issues. In the case that ELC students cannot provide assistance, the ELC attempts to serve as a referral network to those in need of legal advice or services. [open link on a new window]

What is Transactional Law? Legal practice is traditionally bifurcated between transactional (sometimes called business or corporate) law and litigation. Simply, transactional lawyers help form entities, draft contracts, and help engineer deals between parties. Simply, litigators assist with conflicts resolved through dispute resolution (courts or arbitration).

Type of Legal Assistance

ELC exposes students to legal issues often faced by young entities, such as entity formation, financing, employment agreements, and exit strategies. Visit the Info for Entrepreneurs page to see a list of Legal Issues Handled & Not Handled by ELC.

Student attorneys have:

• Helped CU researchers form an entity to catalyze renewable fuels and chemicals that are environmentally friendlier than petroleum-based products. The company has since received funding from two Silicon Valley-based venture capital firms and now has an exclusive CU license to move forward with its technology. 
• Assisted a client who built a Denver-based business around a dessert recipe from her Mexican village. The Clinic helped form the business and developed a viable IP strategy around the client’s secret processes. 
• Joined a “Mock Pitch Day” where Clinic clients seeking early-stage financing practiced presentations to investors. Client pitches were vetted by a Boulder-area venture capitalist and business school professor.
• Led a presentation to local Spanish-speaking prospective entrepreneurs on how to select and form a legal entity when starting a business.