Baylor Law School recently concluded its annual Business Law Boot Camp. This intensive, practice-oriented program brings leading transactional attorneys from across the country to campus to give students real-world insights into the practice of business law.
Created and led by Professor Elizabeth Miller, the M. Stephen and Alyce A. Beard Professor of Business and Transactional Law, the program is held annually in the brief intersession between the law school’s spring and summer quarters. Over the course of a week, participating students engage in immersive sessions covering a wide range of transactional law topics and gain valuable perspectives from accomplished attorneys working in firms and businesses of various sizes and types.
“This program is designed to give students direct exposure to the realities of transactional law practice,” said Professor Miller. “The practicing attorneys who join us for Boot Camp are generous with their time, candid in their advice, and truly committed to preparing our students for success.”
The 2025 Business Law Boot Camp was made possible through support from The Kim and Bill Shaddock Fund for Business and Entrepreneurial Initiatives. Additional support was provided by Spencer Fane, Naman Howell, and Haynes Boone.
“We are extremely grateful to our sponsors and underwriters,” Miller added. “Their contributions make this program possible and allow us to bring in an exceptional lineup of instructors with deep expertise in transactional practice as well as provide unique networking and professional development opportunities to the students in the program.”
Practical Lessons and Real-World Insight
Two dozen students were selected to participate in the Boot Camp via a competitive application process. During the intense week-long program, students attended more than a dozen interactive sessions on topics such as commercial lending, securities law, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation, and business ethics. The sessions are designed to convey substantive knowledge and emphasize the judgment, communication skills, and professionalism required to succeed as a transactional attorney.
“This camp showed me that a career in business law isn’t a one-size-fits-all path,” said Nick Baker, a third-year Baylor Law School student. “We heard from a remarkably diverse group of lawyers—from small-town attorneys to those in major metropolitan areas, from Big Law firm partners to solo practitioners. Each person had their own unique and valuable perspective to share with us.”
Second-year student Justin Garber noted that the program offered important distinctions between litigation and transactional practice. “While litigation is adversarial, transactional law is truly relational,” Garber said. “Building rapport and trust with other counsel involved in a transaction is of the utmost importance to complete the deal so that everyone walks away satisfied.”
Emily Lentzner, a rising 3L, appreciated the breadth of legal topics and perspectives covered throughout the week. “The Boot Camp is a prime example of Baylor Law’s commitment to developing well-rounded attorneys,” she said. “I was introduced to various aspects of transactional law, including commercial lending and securities law, which provided me with a solid foundation for my future career in business law.”
Chris Weber, a rising 3L, called the connection to practice the week’s highlight. “The best aspect of the Business Law Boot Camp was its ability to connect law students with practice in a way that no textbook can,” Weber said. “It clarified my interests in business law in general but also exposed me to areas I had not even considered previously.”
Mentorship and Professional Development
In addition to the formal instruction, students had opportunities to engage one-on-one with the instructors—many of whom are Baylor Law alumni—over meals, Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities.
“These attorneys offer candid, practical advice on the kinds of everyday tasks and decisions you’ll face as a new attorney,” Baker said. “It offered insight that I found especially valuable as someone about to begin their legal career.”
Garber added that the experience helped students build peer and professional relationships. “The visiting professors share a great passion for the work that they do, and this week offers a tremendous opportunity to grow relationships with fellow students who share a similar interest, as well as with practicing attorneys and Baylor Law alumni.”
A mid-week reception attended by Baylor Law School graduates who were students in past Business Law Boot Camps over its ten-year history offered current students a valuable opportunity to network with and gain insights from practicing business lawyers whose recent experience as Baylor Law students allowed them to identify with the current students closely. Miller noted, “The wise advice and heartfelt encouragement provided by these practicing business lawyers was a particularly meaningful aspect of the week for many of the current students.”
Weber encouraged other students to consider applying for future sessions. “If you have any interest in business or transactional law, the Business Law Boot Camp is an amazing opportunity that will open your eyes to the many career opportunities a lot of law students don’t know about,” he said.
As Baylor Law School emphasizes the importance of producing practice-ready graduates, Professor Miller views the Boot Camp as a critical part of the school’s mission.
“Our students leave this program with more than just an enhanced understanding of substantive business and transactional law,” said Miller. “They leave with confidence, with connections, and with a clearer understanding of what it means to be a trusted advisor and impactful advocate in the business and transactional law context. The Boot Camp faculty and other alumni who participate in the program also embody what it means to be dedicated and engaged members of their families and communities. More than one student expressed to me how inspiring it was to interact with individuals who are so passionate and inspiring on both a professional and personal level.”
The Spring 2025 Business Law Boot Camp
| Session | Adjunct or Auxiliary Faculty and Affiliation |
| Choice of Entity: Tax as a Second Language | Tara Smith (Tara Smith Law, PC) |
| Entity Formation Issues: View from the Trenches of the Secretary of State’s Office | David Eskew (Office of Texas Secretary of State), Melissa Clark (Office of Texas Secretary of State) |
| Raising Capital: Intro to Securities Law | Mollie Duckworth (Latham & Watkins) |
| Contract Drafting: 10 Commandments of Defensive Drafting | Hull Youngblood (Davis, Cedillo & Mendoza, Inc.) |
| Lunch Session, Hints from Hull | Hull Youngblood |
| Basic IP and Advertising Issues Encountered in Organizing and Operating a Business | Andy Powell (Naman Howell), Abbi Harris (Naman Howell) |
| Financing: Roadmap of a Commercial Loan Transaction | Rick Brophy (Beard Kultgen), Matt Czimskey (Beard Kultgen), and Sam Hays (Beard Kultgen) |
| Lunch Session, The Road Less Travelled | Greg Looser (Major, Lindsey & Africa) |
| Basic Accounting for Business Lawyers | Allen Page (WAVE Ventures) |
| Sale of a Business: Anatomy of an M&A Transaction | Tom Harris (Haynes Boone) |
| Averting Dysfunction and Disaster in Family Businesses: The Importance of Family Business Succession Planning | Paul Williamson (Morgan Williamson), Joseph Hinton (Morgan Williamson) |
| Communication and Negotiation Skills for the Transactional Lawyer | E. Steve Bolden (Troutman Pepper Locke), Prof. Kayla Landeros (Baylor Law School) |
Original source can be found here.