Campbell University School of Law’s business clinic has reopened and relaunched as the Hutchens Business Law Clinic.
“Raleigh remains one of the top innovation hubs in the country, and this expansion of our school’s experiential learning program is intended to give back and foster the vibrant North Carolina entrepreneurial community,” said Campbell Law Dean J. Rich Leonard at the clinic’s August 7 ribbon cutting. The clinic is named for Terry Hutchens, founder of Fayetteville-based law firm, The Hutchens Firm LLP.
“Anyone interested in starting a business should have a basic understanding of the types of business entities available to them, such as limited liability companies, corporations, and limited liability partnerships, and understand how they function and what is needed in order to set them up and operate them properly,” said Campbell Law alumnus Scott Flowers, managing partner of The Hutchens Law Firm.
“Too often, clients come to us after they have started a business and run into trouble. If they had engaged a lawyer early in the process, often the problem could have been avoided.”
Engage With Clients
The Hutchens Business Law Clinic located at Raleigh-Founded North Street will introduce students to a broad range of skills necessary to operate a business-focused law firm. “Students will learn how to engage directly with clients through in-person meetings, conference calls, and email communication, prepare legal advice and research. They will also learn to prepare documents to support the client’s needs, and manage law firm administration, including onboarding clients, billing, record keeping, etc.,” said Clinic Director Benji Jones, who is of counsel for Smith Anderson and has 20 years of experience as a corporate transactional attorney.
The clinic will meet two needs, according to Jones. “First, it provides small businesses and entrepreneurs access to core transactional legal services, which they may not otherwise have access to. Second, we provide the students with the opportunity to support clients with their transactional legal needs in a real-world, hands-on setting.”
Pro Bono Legal Services
Several upper-level law students who have taken a business organization course work in the clinic with Jones.
“The clinic provides legal services at no cost by upper-level law students, under the supervision of a veteran licensed business attorney, who sees the clinic’s mission as helping early-stage companies navigate to the next growth stage,” said Jones. “We will address legal issues such as business entity formation, employee/contractor documentation, equity compensation plans, commercial agreements such as NDAs and vendor agreements.”
“I was able to work with clients, draft contracts and do in-depth statutory analysis through multiple different states, part of which got me my current position,” said Campbell Law alumna Kelly Kramerenko, a former Business Law Clinic intern and a current financial investigator for the N.C. Secretary of State’s office.
Real-World Experience
The business clinic was originally started in December 2019 at Raleigh Founded-Warehouse District, a co-working space.
“Our hope is that they will gain real-world experience helping clients problem solve their business law needs, so that they can have a positive impact on the community while in law school and be better attorneys when they graduate,” said Flowers.
“We want the clinic to help students determine what they want to do in the future, whether that be a transactional lawyer, an entrepreneur, a litigator or even a politician,” explained Jones.
“We are giving students the opportunity to come in and trade a textbook for a case file,” said Assistant Dean of Experiential Learning Richard Waugaman. “The ability to trade the mythological reasonable person whom a student has never yet interacted with a real person provides an opportunity, prior to the bar exam, to see what the practice of law really is about.”
For more information, contact Benji Jones at 919-673-4301 or [email protected].
