Entrepreneurial Law Certificate Program
"The Enterprising Lawyer"
The TU College of Law is among the first Law Schools to design a Certificate specifically for Entrepreneurial Law.
In this Certificate Program law students will learn about the business and legal issues involved in the creation and growth of new businesses. Required courses include the graduate level course in Entrepreneurship in the College of Business. In addition to required and elective courses in the
College of Law, students in the Certificate Program may participate in, among other things, a seminar in Entrepreneurial Law in the College of Law, independent research in approved topics related to entrepreneurial law, or internships with lawyers who practice in the area of entrepreneurial law. The certificate program offers unique opportunities to law students with an interest in entrepreneurship.
I. Mandatory Core Courses
All three courses are mandatory
- Entrepreneurship (Management 7033) (to be cross-listed for law credit)
- Basic Corporate Law (3 or 4 hours)
- Agency and Partnership (2 or 3 hours) Note: A full-time student generally should take Agency and Partnership and Basic Corporate Law during the second year and Entrepreneurship during the third year.
II. Elective Core Courses
Select any one of the following three courses; if more than one are selected, the additional course(s) may be applied to satisfy III. below.
- Corporate Finance (2 or 3 hours)
- Federal Securities Regulation (3 hours)
- Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders (3 hours) (Note: Federal Income Taxation is a prerequisite for this course.)
III. Elective Related Courses
Select any three of the following courses
- Corporate Finance (2 or 3 hours) [if not taken in satisfaction of II. above]
- Federal Securities Regulation (3 hours) [if not taken in satisfaction of II. above]
- State Securities Regulation (Blue Sky Law) (2 or 3 hours)
- Franchise Law (2 or 3 hours)
- Introduction to Alternative Dispute Resolution (2 or 3 hours)
- Mediation (2 or 3 hours)
- Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders (3 hours) [if not taken in satisfaction of II. above]
- Taxation of Estates, Trusts and Gifts (3 hours)
- Trademark Law (2 or 3 hours)
- Workers' Compensation (2 hours)
- Employment Law (3 hours) or Employment Discrimination (3 hours)
- Estate Planning (2 hours)
- International Business Transactions (3 hours)
- Intellectual Property Law (3 hours)
- Antitrust Law (3 hours)
- Labor Law (3 hours)
- Employee Benefits (3 hours)
- Health Care Financing.
- University or law courses related to entrepreneurial law approved by the Director of the Entrepreneurship Certificate Program and the Associate Dean
IV. Writing, Practice or Oral Advocacy Skills
One of the following is required
- Seminar in the entrepreneurship law area (the seminar must be approved for Section IV credit by the Director) with a grade of C+ or higher
- Independent Study paper with a grade of C+ or higher supervised by two College of Law faculty members (the topic of the paper must be approved for Section IV credit by the Director)
- Legal Internship (approved by the Director) with a lawyer who specializes in corporate or tax law
- Participation in the National Tax Court Moot Court (if TU participates)
- Judicial Internship for credit with a United States Bankruptcy Judge
A student who satisfies the requirements of Sections I, II, III and IV will receive a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Law. A student should consult with the Director of the certificate program for advice about designing a program that meets the requirements for the certificate and satisfies the student's goals.
Director
M. Thomas Arnold, Director
Professor Arnold earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan. He earned his A.B. summa cum laude and his M.A. from Ohio University. Professor Arnold was an attorney for Michigan Bell Telephone Company in Detroit, Michigan. He joined the faculty of the TU College of Law in 1980 and is currently Associate Dean for Assessment and Institutional Excellence. He is the coauthor of a treatise on accountants' liability and also writes in the area of business organizations. His teaching interests include Agency and Partnership, Entrepreneurial Law, Contracts, Corporate Law, and Franchise Law.
In addition to the courses taught by Professor Arnold, a number of full-time professors and practicing lawyers teach Certificate Program courses.
In individual cases, the Director of the Entrepreneurial Certificate Program and the Associate Dean are authorized to modify the requirements of the Program if, in their collective judgment, such a modification is warranted.