Thank you for your interest in the Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic. The LEC accepts applications on an on going, rolling basis. While we hope that we can assist you, our resources are limited. If you have pressing legal needs, please do not wait for LEC assistance and seek other legal assistance (we are happy to help with referrals if you need them). The LEC is only staffed and available to assist entrepreneurs from late August through mid April.

The LEC selects applicants based on of all four of the following criteria:

1. The applicant has not received a significant round of outside funding or financing from investors;

2. The applicant’s place of business is within 60 miles of Utah County and/or has some other tie to the BYU community (clients from other Mountain West areas may be accepted as LEC resources and adequate means of communication permit); and

3. The work requested by the applicant is appropriate for students and presents an interesting educational opportunity.

All client selection decisions are subject to LEC staffing availability and are made solely with the LEC Director’s approval.

Legal Issues Handled by the LEC. The LEC is educationally oriented and is staffed by law students who lack the legal experience of professional counsel. Supervision is provided by the LEC Professor, occasionally in collaboration with generous oversight from experienced attorneys in both Salt Lake City and Utah County. The LEC does not charge for its services, although clients must pay costs associated with LEC work (e.g., state filing fees for entity formation, filing fees). The LEC students interact directly with clients to provide legal advice and other transactional assistance. The LEC provides various types of assistance, including:

• Helping clients choose an effective corporate structure

• Forming companies

• Assisting clients in board of director or shareholder matters

• Drafting contracts and agreements relating to a client’s business, including employment agreements, vendor/supplier agreements, etc.

• Advising clients on how to comply with ongoing corporate legal requirements

• Providing advice on the fundraising process and on corporate finance issues

• Non-profit organization legal assistance

• Intellectual property matters

Because they are outside the scope of the LEC program, the LEC does NOT provide legal assistance in the following areas at this time:

• Litigation (or situations where litigation appears likely)

• Pure tax advice

• Immigration law

The LEC is staffed and reviews applications between August and April while school is in session, however applications may be submitted at any time. Submission of an application does NOT create an attorney/client relationship between the applicant and the LEC. 

To apply for LEC assistance:

1. Carefully read all the information on this page.

2. Read the Acceptance Process information below.

3. Complete the LEC Client Application Form.

Acceptance Process: The four steps listed below must be completed before the LEC can accept and commence work for an applicant. During months that the LEC is staffed, the following client selection process is typically completed within two to three weeks of application receipt. All client selection decisions are subject to LEC staffing availability and are solely within the LEC Director’s discretion.

The LEC will review the application and determine if the request is appropriate for LEC assistance. If the assistance requested appears appropriate, the LEC student manager will assign a student team to your file. The assigned student team will contact you to set up an initial interview. Initial interviews typically occur one to two weeks following receipt of applications. Following the initial interview, the LEC will make a final determination as to whether to accept you as a client. If the application is accepted, the client must sign an engagement letter prior to any LEC assistance.