New certificate program offered in the fall
- By Gilien Silsby
Few students entering law school realize how significantly business and law intersect in the real world – whether it is at big law firms, the district attorney’s office or even at nonprofit companies.
To help prepare students for the array of business-related legal issues they will encounter in both litigation and transactional law, USC Law is launching a new Business Law certificate program in fall 2010.
“As we know, the first step to being a good lawyer is to understand the perspective of your client,” said Dean Robert K. Rasmussen. “You have to know how your client makes money, and what it needs to get out of any transaction. It is often the case that a client will forgo something to which it is legally entitled in order to get something else.”
Part of the impetus for the program is to direct students to take courses that will have direct relevance for their future practice areas. Several courses will focus on such real world practice situations and expose students to issues in deal documentation, negotiation, and planning. The goal is to prepare law students to work with clients and understand their business issues.
Another program goal is to bring law and MBA students together in the classroom. By encouraging dialogue and interaction, law students may appreciate the business perspective, as well as make important connections.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for USC students to learn the skills necessary to be top-notch business lawyers," said Associate Dean Dan Klerman, the academic director of the program. "Our students will have a competitive edge, because they will be masters not only of core legal doctrines, but will also understand the corporate finance, accounting, and tax implications of business transactions and associated litigation.”
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