Professor Karl Okamoto’s (Drexel University, Earle Mack
School of Law) proposal is for a MOOC for advising startups. Here is his description:
Participants in this course will obtain an understanding of
the legal issues that should be addressed by a startup venture. The course is
designed for two audiences – for aspiring legal practitioners and for the
entrepreneurs who will consult them. It provides an overview of the applicable
business, intellectual property and tax law doctrines (with an emphasis on US
law), but emphasizes the various “private ordering” solutions that transcend a
particular set of legal rules. The course will also consider various theories
of entrepreneurial success and examine the role of lawyers and lawyering in the
creation of value in light of these theories. Participants will gain
familiarity with the praxis of entrepreneurial lawyering both as a means to
developing concrete solutions to real world problems and as a lens on startup
culture and practice. In addition to lectures by the instructor, participants
in the course will undertake numerous hands-on exercises. Experts, both lawyers
and entrepreneurs, will participate in the course, providing both feedback on student
performances and expert discussion.
This looks like a very useful
course, and I voted for it. Any other
supporters? [If you see any other
proposals that merit a vote, please note them in the comments.]
1 comment:
Yes this proposal looks good, but I think it also highlights an underlying problem that startups face a very complex legal and tax environment which someone really needs to address properly. Of course lawyers, tax accountants and patent attorneys are going to object to making the system simpler, but I propose that we create a special class of company called a 'startup' which for a specified period is exempt from all laws that would hinder its development.
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