New centers focus on skills training - Salmon P. Chase College of ...

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and technology fields. The college of law
has approved a certificate in transactional
law practice. Students who complete the
certificate program will leave Chase with not
only the knowledge but also the skills to be an
immediate asset to any firm or company.
The center offers a variety of specialized
programs for students including essential
skills workshops, monthly programs in which
seasoned practitioners teach students how to
draft business and transactional documents,
how to read financial statements, how to
interview a client, how to negotiate a deal and
how to handle real-life ethical issues.
Through a program called “Deal in a Day,”
students see firsthand the inner workings of a
business transaction by watching how a deal is
handled from term sheet to closing, including
document review and drafting, understanding
the business and practical aspects of the deal
and negotiation skills. In yet another innovative
program slated for this summer, business
boot camp, students will work in teams to
solve a typical business problem, with guest
lecturers from the fields of accounting, finance,
human resources, insurance and banking. On
the final day of the camp, teams will present
their proposed solutions to a board of top
Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky business
leaders.
Each semester, the Transactional Law
Practice Center will invite a distinguished
practitioner to visit the college of law to
interact with students, faculty and alumni in a
variety of settings. The purpose of the program
is to provide an opportunity for accomplished
practitioners to share their experiences and
insights about the realities of transactional law
practice with the college of law community.
The practitioner-in-residence will participate in
lectures, regularly scheduled classes, special
workshops and small-group discussions with
the students, faculty and alumni.
In addition to these programs, the
center also allows students to participate in
externships in law firms and corporate general
counsel offices. This year, the center has placed
students in law firms and companies across
FEATURE
is a unique opportunity to learn in law school the skills that
would take us one to two years of practice to acquire.
”
JoNAtHAN CoLLiNS
Clockwise: Professor Sherry Porter tells students about the center’s “business boot camp.” Chase
alumnus Bill Hesch ’80 teaches students the elements of financial statements. Students discuss the
provisions in a license agreement.
the region to learn practice skills from the very
best corporate and transactional attorneys our
region has to offer.
At the heart of all of the center’s activities
is the Transactional Law Practice Group,
which is a student organization open to all law
students. Students involved in the organization
have designed many aspects of the center’s
activities and meet with transactional lawyers
from all fields of law. They also participate
in center-supported CLE programs and bar
association programs.
Transactional Law Practice Group
president Jonathan Collins, a second-year
student, says the center provides students with
the skills to become successful transactional
attorneys. “This is a unique opportunity to
learn in law school the skills that would take us
one to two years of practice to acquire,” Collins
said.
By creating the Transactional Law
Practice Center, we are making sure our
students graduate with plenty of practical
experience to complement their studies and
to hit the ground running as they enter the
practice of law.
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