Organizations and Transactions Clinic: Clinical Practice

The O&T Clinic is Stanford's only corporate experiential course involving representation of real clients. We're designed for both students interested in M&A, capital markets, emerging company, tech transactions or other corporate work, and those wanting to explore a non-litigation, advisory-oriented practice. Prior experience in business or corporate law is welcome but not necessary. Students represent multiple clients during the term. Our clients are all established nonprofit corporations. Most generate annual revenues in the range of $1 - $100 million, and some are larger. These clients have boards of directors, run complex programs, own brands and other intellectual property, and engage in a range of transactions, yet are small enough that our contact is almost always the CEO, CFO, general counsel, or other senior executive. O&T client engagements provide students with opportunities to assess facts; develop advice; read and write contracts, corporate governance materials, emails and other client communications; lead meetings and calls with clients; collaborate with colleagues; and manage projects. Our practice is document-intensive and service-oriented; we focus on clear communication and crisp execution. Students also see the many ways corporate lawyers can carry out pro bono work. The course includes a class that meets twice a week. Class meetings center on student-led workshops regarding client projects and on orientation to corporate practice, including discussion of core commercial relationships such as acquisition, credit, and licensing, and practice skills such as transaction planning and management. Guests often join us; those are occasions for informal conversations with in-house counsels, law firm partners, and other experts. Information about prior projects is available from the instructors and on the SLS website. Special Instructions: General Structure of Clinical Courses - - The Law School's clinical courses are offered on a full-time basis for 12 units. This allows students to immerse themselves in the professional experience without the need to balance clinical projects with other classes, exams and papers. Students enrolled in a clinic are not permitted to enroll in any other classes, seminars, directed research or other credit-yielding activities within the Law School or University during the quarter in which they are enrolled in a clinic. Nor are they allowed to serve as teaching assistants who are expected to attend a class on a regular basis. There is a limited exception for joint degree students who are required to take specific courses each quarter and who would be foreclosed from ever taking a clinic unless allowed to co-register. These exceptions are approved on a case-by-case basis. Clinic students are expected to work in their clinical office during most business hours Monday through Friday. Students are also expected to be available by e-mail or cell phone when elsewhere during those hours. Because students have no other courses (and hence no exams or papers), the clinical quarter begins the first day of classes and runs through the final day of the examination period. Students should not plan personal travel during the Monday to Friday work week without prior authorization from the clinical supervisor. The work during a typical week in a clinic is divided into three components. First, as they are for practicing attorneys, most of the hours of any week are taken up by work on client matters or case work (this time includes meetings with instructors to discuss the work). Again, as is the case for practicing lawyers, in some weeks these responsibilities demand time above and beyond "normal business hours." Second, students will spend approximately five-to-seven hours per week preparing for and participating in weekly discussions or other group work in their individual clinic (scheduling varies by clinic). Third, over the course of the quarter each clinic student (with the exception of those enrolled in the Criminal Prosecution Clinic) is required to prepare for and attend a few inter-clinic group sessions. Students will be awarded three separate grades for their clinical quarter, each reflecting four units. The three grades are broken into the following categories: clinical practice; clinical methods; and clinical coursework. Grading is pursuant to the H/P system. Enrollment in a clinic is binding; once selected into a clinic to which he or she has applied, a student may not later drop the course except in limited and exceptional cases. Requests for withdrawal are processed through the formal petition and clinical faculty review process described in the clinic policy document posted on the SLS website. Students may not enroll in any clinic (full-time or advanced) which would result in them earning more than 27 clinical units during their law school career. The rules described here do not apply to advanced clinics for students who are continuing with a clinic in which they were previously enrolled. For information about advanced clinics, please see the course descriptions for those courses. For more information about clinic enrollment and operations, please see the clinic policy document posted on the SLS website. Elements used in grading: The syllabus sets out specific evaluation criteria in supporting student development and evaluating student performance. These criteria are organized into the following categories: figuring things out; working with documents; working with other people; executing crisply; and learning and getting better.