Proposed List of 'Competencies' for an Entry-Level Business Lawyer

Abstract

This list is an initial list prepared by the task force noted above, most recently reviewed by the Legal Education Committee of the ABA Business Law Section at the Spring Meeting of the Section in April 2015. It will continue to be discussed, reviewed and revised, with an aim to providing more detailed materials for teaching or study by new lawyers, would-be lawyers, and trainers and employers of new lawyers. These would include, for example, specific scenarios and skillsets and checklists (such as “due diligence” or “closing documents”).This is by no means an all-inclusive list, and does not focus on specific areas, such as business formation, real estate, borrowing and lending, securities, intellectual property, but rather, more generic business lawyering skills. The Task Force recognizes that many larger law firms have their own competencies and training programs, so the focus of this outline is smaller firms, although these competencies may be applicable to mid-size and larger firms, as well.