Duke Law Alumni Support Entrepreneurship LLM

We posted on the new Duke LLM in entrepreneurship awhile back. Alumni have already ponied up some money to support the new program (which begins in the fall). From the blog post:

Stanley Star ’61, Scott Arenare ’89, and Glenn Sarno ’92 are among those who have provided financial support based in part, they say, on an appreciation for the program’s hands-on approach to training students in areas related to their professional work.

Star is the principal of Cliffstar Corp., a private-label juice manufacturer headquartered in Dunkirk, N.Y. Arenare is managing director and general counsel in the New York office of Warburg Pincus, a global private equity investment firm. Sarno is a partner in the corporate department of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York, where he focuses on private investment funds and other facets of alternative asset management.

“It’s exciting and important for the Law School to undertake this type of program,” Star says. “We’re giving students a chance to work with entrepreneurs, with real experts in the field. It’s very appropriate. The program goes beyond general coursework to provide specific, useful skills and information.”

During a second-semester practicum, students will be placed in relevant externships with law firms, general counsels’ offices, venture capital firms, trade associations, government agencies, and similar settings in the field. A capstone project will allow students to work closely with faculty on scholarly research tied to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship policy.

Alumni demonstrate support for Law and Entrepreneurship LLM.

Duke Law School Launches LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship

My research on entrepreneurship and universities in America has not taken me into many law schools. And to the best of my memory, I haven’t come across any law school students who launch start-ups. (Though I am sure some do exist and many have probably joined up with some MBAs or engineering students)

Appears that Duke University Law School is ready to do something about it and have launched an LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship.

From the program’s website:

Lawyers often are among a startup’s handful of founders or leadership teams. In this context, the relationship of the lawyer and the businessperson is so intertwined that a competent lawyer must understand business and a competent businessperson must understand the law. By focusing on this intersection, the new Law and Entrepreneurship LLM Program at Duke provides a valuable foundation for lawyers who plan to be involved with innovative ventures, either as advisers, executives or CEOs.

Building on Duke Law’s existing strengths in the fields of business law, intellectual property law, and innovation policy and strategic ties to entrepreneurial companies located in nearby Research Triangle Park, this program offers a distinctive and rigorous educational experience. It also meets a growing need within the legal and business communities for lawyers who can creatively counsel and lead the innovative ventures of today and tomorrow.