-
Structuring Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Entrepreneurial Transactions
LAWS 71401
- 01
(3)
+, s
This course covers tax, legal, and economic principles applicable to a series of interesting, complex, current entrepreneurial transactions, utilizing venture capital or private equity financing, including (1) new business start up, (2) growth equity investment in existing business enterprise, (3) leveraged buyout of private or public company (including going-private transaction), (4) use of flow-through tax entity such as S corporation, partnership, or LLC for variety of venture capital or private equity financed transactions, (5) devising equity-based executive compensation program, (6) private equity financed restructuring or workout (in or out of bankruptcy) for troubled over-leveraged enterprise and utilizing troubled company’s NOL after restructuring, (7) devising exit scenario for successful venture capital or private equity financed enterprise (such as IPO, SEC rule 144 sale, sale of company, or merger of company into larger enterprise), and (8) forming new venture capital, LBO, or private equity fund.
Substantive subjects include federal income tax, securities regulation, corporate law, partnership law, LLC law, bankruptcy law, fraudulent conveyance law, and other legal doctrines, as well as accounting rules and practical structuring issues (including use of common and preferred stock, subordinated debt, convertible debt, convertible preferred stock, warrants, and options), all reviewed in a transactional context, and with discussion of their policy underpinnings and likely future evolution.
No specific prerequisites, but introductory income tax strongly recommended, entity taxation desirable, and knowledge of corporate law, securities regulation, bankruptcy, and accounting helpful. However, the course book and the course book appendix contain adequate discussion and supplemental precedents for an understanding of the material covered by the course.
Spring 2014
Jack S. Levin, Donald Rocap
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Trial Advocacy
LAWS 67603
- 01
(3)
+, s, u, x
This class will explore the trial lawyer's craft, with a focus on both the written submissions important in litigation and the courtroom skills required at various stages in the life of a case. The instruction will be by lectures, demonstrations, and participation in learning-by-doing exercises (including a mini-trial). Students will learn how to use motions, depositions, written discovery, expert witnesses, exhibits, and technology as effective litigation tools.
Students who have taken LAWS 67503 Intensive Trial Practice Workshop or LAWS 91702 Trial Practice: Strategy and Advocacy may not take LAWS 67603 Trial Advocacy.
While the instructors strongly recommend that students have a good understanding of the Federal Rules of Evidence before taking the seminar, this is not an absolute prerequisite.
Final grades will be based on class participation, performance during courtroom exercises and the mini-trial, a fifteen-page trial brief, brief in support of a motion, or post-trial brief, and two shorter written pieces.
Performance in the mock trial will count for 60% of the students' grade.
Enrollment is limited to 24 students.
Winter 2014
Tom Dutton, Kevin Van Wart
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Young Center Immigrant Child Advocacy Clinic
LAWS 65013
- 01
(1)
a, s, w
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights Clinic combines international human rights, immigration law and children's rights law. Students in the Young Center clinic serve as Child Advocate (similar to a guardian ad litem) for unaccompanied immigrant children detained in Chicago detention facilities. Unaccompanied immigrant children come to the U.S. from all corners of the world, on their own. They are apprehended—typically at the U.S./Mexico border, or through internal enforcement—then detained and placed in deportation proceedings. Direct Client Service: Pursuant to federal law, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the Young Center is appointed as Child Advocate for the most vulnerable of these children (tender age children, children with mental or physical disabilities, children who have experienced extensive trauma, etc.). Law students in the Young Center Clinic are appointed by the federal government to serve as Child Advocate for individual children, and are responsible for advocating for the best interests of the assigned child on issues relating to care, custody, release, legal relief and safe repatriation. Each student meets weekly with the child at the detention facility, and advocates on behalf of the child with federal officials, including immigration judges and asylum officers, under the supervision of Young Center attorneys. Since there currently is no substantive best interests of the child standard under the Immigration and Nationality Act, students look to state child welfare law, international human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and UNHCR Guidelines, and the child protection laws of the child’s home country. Policy Advocacy: In addition to serving as Child Advocate, clinic students have the opportunity to engage in legislative and policy advocacy aimed at improving the immigration system for immigrant children in removal proceedings. This is an especially exciting time because Congress is debating Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The Young Center will travel with students to Washington D.C. to meet with legislative officials in the Senate and the House to educate them about immigrant children and advance specific policies, including the appointment of counsel for immigrant children and incorporation of a substantive best interests of the child standard in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Young Center Clinic admits both second-year and third-year law students. Language skills are not required, but students who speak Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi or Urdu are strongly encouraged to apply. Students who enroll in the clinic must: 1. Participate in a 2-day orientation during the first week of Autumn Quarter (Saturday & Sunday); 2. Participate in a 2-hour weekly seminar during the Autumn Quarter; 3. Participate in bi-weekly brown bag lunch meetings during the Winter and Spring Quarters. For more information about the Young Center, visit: www.TheYoungCenter.org or contact Maria Woltjen at mwoltjen@uchicago.edu or 773-702-0349 or Elizabeth Frankel at efrankel@law.uchicago.edu or 773-702-9587.
Autumn 2013
Elizabeth Frankel, Maria Woltjen, Jajah Wu
-
Young Center Immigrant Child Advocacy Clinic
LAWS 65013
- 01
(1)
a, s, w
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights Clinic combines international human rights, immigration law and children's rights law. Students in the Young Center clinic serve as Child Advocate (similar to a guardian ad litem) for unaccompanied immigrant children detained in Chicago detention facilities. Unaccompanied immigrant children come to the U.S. from all corners of the world, on their own. They are apprehended—typically at the U.S./Mexico border, or through internal enforcement—then detained and placed in deportation proceedings. Direct Client Service: Pursuant to federal law, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the Young Center is appointed as Child Advocate for the most vulnerable of these children (tender age children, children with mental or physical disabilities, children who have experienced extensive trauma, etc.). Law students in the Young Center Clinic are appointed by the federal government to serve as Child Advocate for individual children, and are responsible for advocating for the best interests of the assigned child on issues relating to care, custody, release, legal relief and safe repatriation. Each student meets weekly with the child at the detention facility, and advocates on behalf of the child with federal officials, including immigration judges and asylum officers, under the supervision of Young Center attorneys. Since there currently is no substantive best interests of the child standard under the Immigration and Nationality Act, students look to state child welfare law, international human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and UNHCR Guidelines, and the child protection laws of the child’s home country. Policy Advocacy: In addition to serving as Child Advocate, clinic students have the opportunity to engage in legislative and policy advocacy aimed at improving the immigration system for immigrant children in removal proceedings. This is an especially exciting time because Congress is debating Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The Young Center will travel with students to Washington D.C. to meet with legislative officials in the Senate and the House to educate them about immigrant children and advance specific policies, including the appointment of counsel for immigrant children and incorporation of a substantive best interests of the child standard in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Young Center Clinic admits both second-year and third-year law students. Language skills are not required, but students who speak Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi or Urdu are strongly encouraged to apply. Students who enroll in the clinic must: 1. Participate in a 2-day orientation during the first week of Autumn Quarter (Saturday & Sunday); 2. Participate in a 2-hour weekly seminar during the Autumn Quarter; 3. Participate in bi-weekly brown bag lunch meetings during the Winter and Spring Quarters. For more information about the Young Center, visit: www.TheYoungCenter.org or contact Maria Woltjen at mwoltjen@uchicago.edu or 773-702-0349 or Elizabeth Frankel at efrankel@law.uchicago.edu or 773-702-9587.
Spring 2014
Elizabeth Frankel, Maria Woltjen, Jajah Wu
-
Young Center Immigrant Child Advocacy Clinic
LAWS 65013
- 01
(1)
a, s, w
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights Clinic combines international human rights, immigration law and children's rights law. Students in the Young Center clinic serve as Child Advocate (similar to a guardian ad litem) for unaccompanied immigrant children detained in Chicago detention facilities. Unaccompanied immigrant children come to the U.S. from all corners of the world, on their own. They are apprehended—typically at the U.S./Mexico border, or through internal enforcement—then detained and placed in deportation proceedings. Direct Client Service: Pursuant to federal law, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the Young Center is appointed as Child Advocate for the most vulnerable of these children (tender age children, children with mental or physical disabilities, children who have experienced extensive trauma, etc.). Law students in the Young Center Clinic are appointed by the federal government to serve as Child Advocate for individual children, and are responsible for advocating for the best interests of the assigned child on issues relating to care, custody, release, legal relief and safe repatriation. Each student meets weekly with the child at the detention facility, and advocates on behalf of the child with federal officials, including immigration judges and asylum officers, under the supervision of Young Center attorneys. Since there currently is no substantive best interests of the child standard under the Immigration and Nationality Act, students look to state child welfare law, international human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and UNHCR Guidelines, and the child protection laws of the child’s home country. Policy Advocacy: In addition to serving as Child Advocate, clinic students have the opportunity to engage in legislative and policy advocacy aimed at improving the immigration system for immigrant children in removal proceedings. This is an especially exciting time because Congress is debating Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The Young Center will travel with students to Washington D.C. to meet with legislative officials in the Senate and the House to educate them about immigrant children and advance specific policies, including the appointment of counsel for immigrant children and incorporation of a substantive best interests of the child standard in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Young Center Clinic admits both second-year and third-year law students. Language skills are not required, but students who speak Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi or Urdu are strongly encouraged to apply. Students who enroll in the clinic must: 1. Participate in a 2-day orientation during the first week of Autumn Quarter (Saturday & Sunday); 2. Participate in a 2-hour weekly seminar during the Autumn Quarter; 3. Participate in bi-weekly brown bag lunch meetings during the Winter and Spring Quarters. For more information about the Young Center, visit: www.TheYoungCenter.org or contact Maria Woltjen at mwoltjen@uchicago.edu or 773-702-0349 or Elizabeth Frankel at efrankel@law.uchicago.edu or 773-702-9587.
Winter 2014
Elizabeth Frankel, Maria Woltjen, Jajah Wu
