Whether you're pursuing employment with a company or striking out on your own, you're going to face certain obstacles over and over with regard to your work duties and professional development.  You can try to avoid them, but you'll inevitably keep walking in circles, none the wiser.  Being educated about about your rights and obligations early on can help you not avoid, but navigate and overcome those obstacles and gain valuable business experience and expertise early on.  This dual-purpose presentation will discuss various agreements, rights and obligations you need to not only be aware of, but also have an intrinsic understanding of these matters and a strong educational foundation on which to build your career.  What do you need to know about being a contractor versus an employee?  Or bringing these folks on board while building your own company?  Who might have a stake or ownership claims to your work product (whether tangible and intangible) and why?  We'll also explore some ancillary matters, such as work environment and company branding, that can be a life saver when choosing (or creating) a work environment that sets you up to succeed.  By exploring both the employment and "entrepreneurial" sides of business, this seminar aims to help you decide which path, through the seemingly labyrinth of career options, might be right for you.

New Leaf Legal, LLC is an entrepreneur-built law firm that specializes in corporate and intellectual property for small businesses and artists.  It was co-founded by Jessica Manganello (JD '06) and Shannon Jamieson (JD '08) after some serious soul searching (and lots of analysis and planning!) about their own careers.  New Leaf Legal propels emerging businesses and entertainment careers forward by taking a fresh look at legal services and the role that an attorney can play in your company. 

Open to Suffolk students, alumni, faculty, administration and staff. Registration required (registration is free).