Silicon Flatirons

A Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado

Entrepreneurship-related Opportunities for Colorado Law Students

Today's world is often described as an "Information Age" marked by technological innovation and networked digital communications. For attorneys of tomorrow, the on-going information revolution presents policy challenges, industry-changing opportunities, and novel legal issues. Colorado Law is the right place, right time for those interested in exploring the frontiers of intellectual property (IP), technology policy, and entrepreneurial law. The Silicon Flatirons Center's initiatives create additional opportunities for students interested in entrepreneurship.

Colorado Law boasts one of the nation's most comprehensive legal programs oriented around entrepreneurship and information technology issues raised by the Information Age. Our students meet and work with entrepreneurs and high-tech companies through our Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. As part of their work representing clients through the clinic, our students form companies, draft contracts, and advise clients on intellectual property strategy. Through the Silicon Flatirons Center's entrepreneurial initiatives, our students have the opportunity to network with successful entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, legal counsel and other students and faculty cross-campus who are interested in entrepreneurship. In addition, students may attend roundtables and conferences on pertinent subjects in the field of entrepreneurship; witness the latest technology showcased for development as part of the New Technology Meetup; and through the Center's Entrepreneurs Unplugged program, learn directly from successful entrepreneurs about the issues confronted when launching startups.

Reflecting the depth of Colorado Law's business law and IP offerings, a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Law is available for students who complete a coherent body of transactional coursework, including classes such as the VC course co-taught by Boulder-based venture capitalist Jason Mendelson. The Certificate reflects a concentrated study of issues typically faced by transaction-side lawyers and, additionally, signals to prospective employers that a student possesses a skill set with applicability across issues of business law.

Through our academic programs and extracurricular offerings and our collaboration with our academic partners on campus, CU law students are given the tools to become problem solvers and successful business lawyers. The learning at CU extends beyond the classroom. In addition to the activities mentioned above, CU law students have the opportunity to participate in our first annual campus-wide business plan competition, which is being launched through a collaboration by the Silicon Flatirons Center, the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship and the Engineering Management Program. The business plan competition, which will consist of workshops, team building events, a pitch day and a final competition, aims to encourage the transition of ideas and innovation into viable commercial opportunities.

For students interested in entrepreneurship and counseling new ventures, Colorado Law in Boulder is an exciting place to be. For additional information, see the "Entrepreneurial, Technology and Intellectual Property Law at the University of Colorado Law School" brochure.