Business & Ethics of Practicing Law

This course will provide students with a lifetime perspective of the business side of practicing law. The course will begin with an overview of the legal profession, including traditional legal jobs such as law firm associate, in-house counsel, and government attorney. It will discuss establishing oneself as a junior attorney and how junior attorneys can affect the direction of their legal and professional careers. The core of the course will focus on starting and managing a law practice. This section will consider the ethical, financial, business, and legal aspects of starting and managing a law practice. The course will also introduce students to personal-finance concepts and practices that will help students understand wealth-accumulating principles and manage their personal finances in a manner that will provide the greatest latitude and freedom in their professional and personal lives. The course will be experiential as students refine personal materials and skills for finding the ideal legal job, learn personal-finance skills, and work through a hypothetical formation of a law practice. Grading: Letter Grade. Can be taken for Skills credit OR Professional Responsibility Credit