Study

The Start-Up Ventures Clinic represents entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses and social ventures on a variety of matters related to the start-up process, including formation, founder equity and vesting, shareholder agreements, intellectual property protection and licensing agreements, commercialization strategies, and other issues that new enterprises face in their start-up phases.

The course incorporates client representation with a seminar and individualized supervision to provide students with a range of opportunities to put legal theory into practice and to develop core legal skills such as interviewing, client counseling, negotiation, and drafting. Students in this course will, among other things, have the chance to deepen their substantive legal knowledge in entrepreneurial law and business law more generally, while at the same time developing critical professional skills through the direct representation of start-up businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Enrollment Policy 

Students are required to attend the clinic intensive training session (check the Academic Calendar for the date). Students may not drop the clinic after the first meeting. 

International LLM students who wish to enroll in a clinic must seek the permission of the clinic’s faculty director before the enrollment period. Permission is required to enroll but does not constitute entry into the clinic.

Enrollment Pre-/Co- Requisite Information

Any course fulfilling the JD Ethics graduation requirement. Business Associations and Start-Up Law are recommended but not required.

Fall 2026

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
441.01	4	Group project(s) Practical exercises Live-client representation and case management Class participation	Bryan McGann
Canvas site: https://canvas.duke.edu/courses/86472