No Images? Click here Fall 2019 Teaching Transactional LawFor more than 20 years, a hallmark of UCLA School of Law’s Experiential Education Program has been a robust lineup of courses designed for students pursuing careers in business and transactional law. An early innovator in the arena — Steven Derian has taught the Sports Law Simulation since 1987 and Daniel Bussel first proposed a transactional skills course in 1997 — UCLA Law taps tenured and full-time faculty members as well as experienced practitioners to lead courses that involve intensive negotiation and contract-drafting opportunities. Our colleague, Iman Anabtawi, who launched the Merger and Acquisition Transactions simulation in 2000, draws on her experience as a tax and corporate transactional lawyer at O’Melveny & Myers and a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. She says: “A fully educated law student who is entering transactional practice should have both the classroom experience in a lecture course and an opportunity to implement that knowledge in a real-world setting.” We agree. We are happy to bring the work of our colleagues to your attention. We hope to collaborate with others in the clinical community on the development of creative approaches to transactional legal education. Sameer Ashar, Vice Dean for Experiential Education Merger and Acquisition Transactions — Professor Iman Anabtawi walks students through the ins and outs of contract drafting, due diligence, negotiations and other issues related to a complex sale of business entities. Documentary Film Legal Clinic — Students working under the guidance of experienced media attorneys Dale Cohen, special counsel to PBS’ Frontline, and Daniel M. Mayeda, longtime media litigator, assist emerging filmmakers with issues
including public records requests, location agreements, intellectual property counsel and clearance of music, visuals and archival materials. The clinic is part of the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law. Community Economic Development — Scott L. Cummings, the Robert Henigson Professor of Legal Ethics, leads students as they work with community organizations to combat urban poverty by providing assistance on neighborhood revitalization projects that create jobs, spur development of affordable housing and expand the availability of critical services. Sports Law Simulation — Through negotiations, contract drafting and presentations involving current practitioners, sports executives and even athletes, full-time Lecturer in Law Steven K. Derian introduces students to the work of agents, team attorneys and sports-league representatives. Corporate Practice — Teams of students under the supervision of Joel A. Feuer, executive director of the Lowell Milken Institute at UCLA School of Law and former co-chair of the litigation department at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, prepare written
materials and oral presentations for a sophisticated target audience including executives and in-house lawyers. Music Industry — The Music Industry Clinic provides legal services to musicians, songwriters, producers and independent label owners in transactional matters including management and recording agreements. Under the auspices of the Ziffren Institute, the clinic is led by industry veterans Susan Hilderley and Jeffrey Light. Contract Drafting — With Sarah Korobkin, the Director of Special Projects for Lowell Milken Institute and a former transactional attorney at Arnold & Porter, students blend doctrinal concepts such as warranties and covenants with applied
knowledge, including best practices in structuring iron-clad business contracts. Environmental Aspects of Business Transactions — Professor Timothy Malloy, who worked in private practice and at the Environmental Protection Agency before joining UCLA Law’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, helps
students work through the details of real estate and other transactions with an eye on navigating environmental regulations. Tax Practice — Professor Jason Oh, a former tax attorney at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, presents students with exercises that steep them in the skills that are key to successful tax practice, including drafting of tax-specific contract language, responding to IRS notices and tax planning. Life Cycle of a Business: From Startup to Sale — Lecturer Neil J. Wertlieb, a transactional attorney for more than 30 years and former chair of California State Bar committees on corporations and business law, steers students through exercises where they draft documents or take on the roles of attorneys, clients, executives and judges in negotiations and appearances related to the birth of a business. Clinicians on the RiseFanna Gamal comes to UCLA Law from the East Bay Community Law Center in Berkeley. She will co-teach the International Human Rights Clinic with E. Tendayi Achiume in Spring 2020 and in 2020-21 will start a clinic focused on school discipline and the school-to-prison pipeline. She is collaborating extensively with the UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families and focused on writing projects at the juncture of community lawyering and Critical Race Theory. "I am thrilled to be at UCLA Law," she says. "The experiential education program is on the cutting edge of linking theory and practice. I can’t think of a better place to do work that is theoretically grounded but also practically significant."
finance and the authority of county sheriffs. "UCLA’s vibrant Experiential Education Program and Prison Law and Policy Program make the law school the perfect place for me to develop an appellate prisoners’ rights clinic and write about the role of sheriffs and their jails in local criminal justice. I’m delighted to be here and grateful for the opportunity to learn from superb colleagues and teach smart and engaged students." Keep up with everything at UCLA Law! |