The clinic serves new and established entrepreneurs (Missouri or Kansas residents) who need assistance with legal services but who cannot afford the market rate for those services. To be placed on the waiting list of clients, you must complete and return the application to the Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic.
The Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and Intellectual Property Clinic is a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience interfacing with clients and providing modern-day legal assistance for start-ups and small business owners.
Students receive training and experience in working with small businesses, including application of the concepts learned in the Business Organizations, Federal Taxation, and intellectual property courses, as well as a range of other business law and intellectual property issues. In addition, students learn how to provide ethical and competence representation to individual business clients.
The Clinic qualifies for two credit hours per semester. Students are required to complete 90 hours of clinical work throughout the semester.
The Clinic is graded Pass/Fail.
The Clinic is an elective and meets the clinical requirement for both the Intellectual Property Law Emphasis and Business and Entrepreneurship Law Emphasis. Students seeking an IP Emphasis should enroll in the Intellectual Property Clinic (LAW 8910). Students seeking a Business Emphasis should enroll in Entrepreneurial Law and Practice Clinic (LAW 8757R). See course descriptions below for more information:
Under faculty supervision, students will counsel start-up companies and their owners and implement business planning advice by drafting articles of incorporation and organization, by-laws, partnership agreements and other business contracts. Other business-related matters ranging from regulatory, consumer, licensing, and taxation requirements; copyrights, trademark, and patent creation; and 501(C)(3) applications for non-profits may also be covered in this course. Clinic students will also receive classroom instruction in the areas of client counseling and business planning and drafting of business documents.
Prerequisites: LAW 8601 and LAW 8552.
Under the supervision of faculty who are licensed attorneys, students will counsel start-up companies and their owners and assist with intellectual property matters related to Trade Secrets, Copyright Trademark, & Patent and planning in connection with concepts related to Business Torts. Students will conduct patentability and trademark searches, prepare patent landscape reports, trademark registrations, opposition and cancellation responses and assist Clinic clients in identifying trade secrets and potential patentable inventions and preparing invention disclosures as well as provide general intellectual property information and advice to Clinic clients.
Prerequisites: LAW 8808 or LAW 8797 and LAW 8798 or LAW 8882.
Yes. Please note that course prerequisites depend upon the specific degree emphasis sought. Prior to enrolling in the Entrepreneurial Law and Practice Clinic (Law 8757R), students must complete the following courses:
Prior to enrolling in the Intellectual Property Clinic (Law 8910), students must complete the following courses:
Due to limited class size, you must get instructor approval before enrolling in this course. To apply, please submit an application.
For more information about the Clinic, please refer to the attached course information:
If you still have further questions after reviewing these materials, please contact Professor Danielle Merrick at merrickda@umkc.edu.
If you would like to apply for legal services as a client of the Clinic, please complete this application.
UMKC School of Law is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions of the American Bar Association, 321, North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-988-6738.
