Law schools will begin offering a specialized degree in entrepreneurship next year. But will the owners of start-ups consider this specialty essential when hiring a lawyer?
It’s hard to start a company without involving a lawyer, but it can be even harder to figure out what type of lawyer to hire. There has never been an official credential for an “entrepreneurial lawyer.” That is, until Duke Law School invented one. Two months ago, the school announced that it will be moving forward with plans to offer a LLM degree in entrepreneurship for the 2010-2011 school year.
The one-year program is primarily aimed at lawyers who want to advise entrepreneurs or to be entrepreneurs themselves. The University of Colorado at Boulder Law School has plans to launch a similar program within the year, but is still waiting for official approval.
While many law schools have been offering classes on entrepreneurship for years, these schools are the first to offer an additional degree. LLM degrees are typically reserved for highly technical areas of law, like taxes, or for lawyers from other countries who want to practice in the United States. An LLM degree in a broad subject like entrepreneurship is unusual, and it is yet to be seen if it will be something start-ups consider when they are hiring a lawyer.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Should Your Lawyer Specialize in Entrepreneurship?
Author: Sarah Kessler
