Tech Edge Certificate Requirements
A TEJD certificate candidate must satisfy the following requirements:
1. Orientation. A TEJD candidate must attend an orientation session before 1L year, where careers in technology law will be explored. TEJD students must also attend the “regular” law school orientation. The in-person orientation session will be the week of the regular orientation to minimize travel burden on out-of-state students.
2. Portfolio. A candidate must create and maintain a career portfolio evidencing completion of the certificate requirements. There will be a portfolio tool (initially Camino) to submit evidence of completion of certificate requirements.
3. Career Plan. A candidate must write a career plan and have the plan approved by his or her advisor within the first semester of 1L year. The plan may be revised and updated from time to time. The plan will be added to the candidate’s portfolio.
4. Mentors. A candidate will be assigned two (2) attorney mentors. The candidate should meet with each mentor at least 2 times per year (for a total of 4 meetings), but a minimum of one meeting per mentor per year is required to satisfy the TEJD certificate requirement. One such meeting should be a shadow day or other field trip experience with each mentor (1 shadow day or field trip total per year). The candidate must submit a mentor meeting summary for each meeting to his or her portfolio. The Program Director will obtain regular feedback from mentors and students to assess the effectiveness of the match, and may re-assign mentors if appropriate. Ideally, assuming a good match, mentors will remain committed to mentor each student during the duration of his or her law school career. New mentors will attend a training on how to be a mentor, to be developed and delivered by the Program Manager before orientation.
5. Law School Advisor. A candidate will be assigned one (1) law school advisor, which may be either a faculty or staff member. The candidate must meet with the advisor at least once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester. The advisor will review the student’s progress towards graduation and the TEJD certificate requirements. The candidate must submit an advisor meeting summary for each meeting to his or her portfolio. The Program Director will obtain regular feedback from advisors and students to assess the effectiveness of the match, and may re-assign advisors if appropriate; however, it is expected that this re-assignment would only occur in unusual circumstances. It is expected that advisors will remain committed to advise each student during the duration of his or her law school career. New advisors will attend a training on how to be an advisor, to be developed and delivered by the Program Manager before orientation (ideally before the end of Spring semester).
6. Program Requirements. From time to time, the Program Director may distribute a list of pre-approved courses or extra-curricular activities that have been verified to meet a TEJD benchmark. For all other benchmarks, it is the advisor’s responsibility to determine if the student has completed the benchmark requirement. Program requirements (including but not limited to the benchmarks) will be tracked by the advisor via an online tool, initially Camino. Students will be responsible for submitting proof of completion of the requirement to Camino. Ideally, students will coordinate with advisors in advance of taking a course or participating in an activity, to ensure that course or activity will satisfy the benchmark. However, that will not always be possible (e.g. if a student completes a benchmark while working in an externship). Advisors are expected to review the submitted proof of completion document, and verify the student has completed the relevant benchmark, within a reasonable time (e.g. a few weeks) of when the student submits the evidence of completion, so that if it is rejected by the advisor, the student has time to acquire the benchmark elsewhere. The advisor may, in his or her sole discretion, reject or approve an experience to satisfy a requirement. The advisor must approve of an externship or internship to satisfy the requirement. From time to time, companies posting an externship opportunity may indicate that a student can obtain a TEJD benchmark through the externship. This does not relieve the advisor of the responsibility to ensure that the benchmark was satisfied in the externship. Below is a list of program requirements and benchmarks, along with examples of proof of completion.
| Requirement | Evidence of Completion |
| Career Plan | Submit plan to TEJD Camino page |
| Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic | Passing grade reflected on transcript |
Two (2) Externships of 3+ or more credits each relating to career plan
|
Externship “credit” reflected on transcript (unless a pre-approved internship; then internship supervisor must sign a verification form that is uploaded to Camino) |
| Minimum of one (1) meeting with each mentor per year (total 2/year) | Mentor meeting summary submitted to Camino |
| Benchmark Experience | Evidence of Completion (to be added to portfolio) |
| Draft and negotiate a transaction relating to student’s desired career path, as evidenced by career plan | Reflection and Document draft added to portfolio (if confidential information is redacted, that is OK) |
| Participate in a cross-disciplinary team that includes businesspeople and engineers | Reflection submitted to Camino |
| Present a set of options, with a recommendation, to decision-makers | Reflection and relevant document (memo, slides, email) added to portfolio (if confidential information is redacted, that is OK) |
| Learned about the Silicon Valley’s business norms and practices, including start-ups, financings, M&A, licensing, employment practices, cash and stock compensation, Silicon Valley lingo, Silicon valley culture | Reflection submitted to Camino; the advisor should ensure that the student has obtained an understanding of the Silicon Valley business norms and practices through a meaningful experience or combination of experiences / study that could include:
|
| Become familiar with basic technology concepts and ways new technologies are developed, commercialized and distributed | Reflection submitted to Camino; the advisor should ensure that the student has obtained an understanding not just of the types of technology prevalent in the Silicon Valley but also development, commercialization, and distribution of at least one form of technology. This can be obtained through a meaningful experience or combination of experiences / study that could include:
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7. Other Details
Applicants to the part-time program will be eligible, provided the applicant’s planned law school schedule would allow for the rigorous requirements of the TEJD, to be assessed by the Program Director.
All certificate requirements must be completed prior to the candidate’s graduation date. Students cannot earn both the TEJD certificate and another certificate.
A student’s advisor may terminate a student’s participation in the TEJD program if the advisor (in his or her sole discretion) believes that the program may jeopardize the student’s completion of graduation requirements and/or bar passage. The Program Director may also terminate a student’s participation for the same factors.
A student may petition to be added to the TEJD program before or during their 1L summer (but not thereafter). Because those students did not have an opportunity to complete crucial elements of the program, the TEJD Director will assess each students’ ability to catch up and complete the requirements of the program.
The TEJD Director has authority to waive certificate requirements. Waivers will generally only be granted in exceptional cases. TEJD candidates may opt out of the program at any time. A student who has opted out will not be eligible for re-entry in the program.
