Overview of the ETC

ETC Experience

The ETC provides legal services to non-profits and entrepreneurs. Students enrolled in the ETC will be sworn in as student attorneys to provide legal assistance to business startups and transition successors, entrepreneurs, worker groups and employee-owned cooperatives, and community nonprofit organizations to help them establish successful for-profit and nonprofit enterprises. The ETC targets entrepreneurs and innovators located in underserved Des Moines neighborhoods and rural Iowa communities who are not able to afford retained legal counsel.

While enrolled in the ETC, student attorneys will be part of a law firm performing a range of transactional services for ETC clients. Student attorneys interview clients about specific ideas, needs, and plans. This fact-finding process will lead to an analysis of the various forms of business entities, including limited liability companies, corporations, nonprofit corporations, unincorporated associations, and employee-owned cooperatives, which may be suited for the client’s needs. Student attorneys will provide advice to the client about choice of entities and draft the requisite organizational and governing documents. Depending on the type of entity selected by the client, the student attorney will create and file articles of incorporation and bylaws or LLC certificates of organization and operating agreements, as well as complete IRS Forms 1023 or 1023-EZ applications for recognition of tax-exempt status.

The student attorney may also evaluate the client’s need for intellectual property protection and the available legal tools for that objective.

In addition, the student attorney may furnish legal representation regarding common issues that confront small business owners, including employment agreements and policies, independent contractor agreements, Sub S-corporation elections, standard service contracts, leases, purchase agreements, financing arrangements, buy-sell agreements, and CTA compliance submissions.

The ETC will afford student attorneys an opportunity to apply Iowa business law and federal tax regulations to real life circumstances ––and develop critical practice skills for building client relationships and navigating legal strategy that will benefit them as practicing lawyers.

Student Attorney Time Commitment*: 

• Orientation (Full Day)
• Seminar Class Sessions (2 50-Minute Classes Per Week)
• Weekly Supervisory Meetings (30-60 Minutes Per Week)
• Client Work, Office Hours and Class Preparation (10+ Hours Per Week)

*Note the total weekly time commitment for the listed combined activities varies depending on the number of credits and client matters but estimated as 4 credits/13 hours, 5 credits/16 hours, and 6 credits/19 hours.

 Application Dates and Deadlines:  

• Fall Semester: TBD
• Spring Semester: TBD

Requirements

Prerequisites:
Business Associations (LAW 204)
Equivalent of Three Semesters of Law School

Faculty:

Nick Roby
Director of the Entrepreneurial and Transactional Law Clinic and Clinical Professor of Law
nick.roby@drake.edu

Debra Rectenbaugh Pettit
Project Clinic Attorney of the Entrepreneurial and Transactional Law Clinic
debra.pettit@drake.edu