• David Wilkins: Legal Profession.  This course examines the organization, operation, and ideology of the legal profession. It has three major objectives.  First, through materials and simulations, the course seeks to convince students that in the practice of law they often will be asked to make difficult ethical decisions. Particular attention is paid to ethical problems encountered in civil litigation and the impact of recent developments in matters such as class actions, fee shifting, prepaid legal services, and multi-jurisdictional law firms.  Second, the course studies larger questions of professional structure and ideology, including recent trends in the legal services industry and the theoretical and functional implications of changes in the practice of law.  Third, the course encourages students to look seriously at the public image of lawyers and challenges them to reflect critically on the profession they are about to enter and the role they wish to play in it.
  

• David Wilkins: Future(s) of the Large Law Firm.  This seminar encourages students to become engaged in the Program’s work by drawing extensively on the Program’s research, including substantial new material from its After the JD and Corporate Purchasing projects.  The course examines the challenges facing large law firms as they compete for clients and labor in an increasingly competitive, multidisciplinary, and globalized marketplace.

• David Wilkins: After the JD:  An Introduction to the Legal Profession and Your Career.  This required lecture for all first year students provides details on the results of the “After the JD” study and general information about the legal profession and career management.

• Ashish Nanda: Professional Services.  This course utilizes both new and old case studies developed by Professor Nanda to teach law students about management fundamentals and principles.

• Guhan Subramanian: Negotiation Advanced: Deal Design & Implementation.  This course examines the creation of value through the negotiation, design and implementation of fifteen real-world deals. 

• Professors Wilkins, Nanda, Coates, and Distinguished Senior Fellow Benjamin Heineman also will offer the Executive Education course Leadership in Law Firms in May 2008.  In October 2008 they will offer another executive education course preliminarily entitled Leadership in Corporate Counsel Offices. 

In the coming months, we will work closely with research professionals at the Harvard Law Library to develop a research portal focused on the legal profession and career management for lawyers.  We also are planning a series of presentations, luncheons, round-tables and other events to be held at HLS during the upcoming year that will enhance our ongoing dialogue with law students at Harvard and provide them with solid, practical advice and information about their chosen profession.