The Chair of Public Law, Media and Information Law of Prof. Dr. Kai von Lewinski at the Faculty of Law of the University of Passau has been offering a Startup Law Clinic since the winter semester 2014/15. In this clinic, law students advise founders seeking legal advice on (almost) all aspects of setting up a business free of charge.
The legal advice service is aimed at young companies, start-ups and private individuals who need advice on legal issues relating to start-ups. As part of university education, this student legal service is free of charge for the advised start-ups. In return, liability for incorrect advice given by the students is limited to intent and serious negligence. Further information.
The offer is aimed at law students from the third semester onwards who want to gain their first consulting experience. Startup Law Clinic students advise startups on legal issues relating to their start-up idea. For participation in the Startup Law Clinic training program (Legal Pathfinder) and the provision of advice, a certificate of practical study time can be issued in accordance with § 25 JAPO. Further information.
The Startup Law Clinic offers its services in particular in the university start-up network PATEC and at the local start-up center INN.KUBATOR. Since the spring, there has also been a cooperation with Germany's first agricultural start-up center NEU.LAND, an initiative of the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture (LfL). If you are also interested in cooperating with the Startup Law Clinic, you can find more information here.
The Startup Law Clinic has been award-winning since the winter semester 2024/2025. On November 7, 2024, Minister of State Markus Blume awarded the first prize in the Universities category of the Bavarian University Prize for Entrepreneurship to the Startup Law Clinic team.
The MöglichMacher Prize was awarded for the second time at Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences. With this prize, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the vbw - Bavarian Industry Association recognize outstanding achievements in promoting entrepreneurship and start-ups at Bavarian universities.
Die Startup Law Clinic berät in allen Rechtsbereichen, die für die Unternehmensgründung relevant sind; ausgenommen ist das Steuerrecht.
Das Angebot ist damit denkbar breit und umfasst:
Rechtsgebietsunabhängig sind zudem solche Fragen ausgenommen, die die Studierenden in ihrem jeweiligen Ausbildungsstand überfordern. Was davon erfasst ist, klärt die Leitung der Law Clinic mit dem Startup und den Studierenden im Einzelfall.
Die Beratung in der Startup Law Clinic wird wesentlich durch die rechtsdienstleistungsrechtlichen Vorgaben des § 6 Abs. 2 RDG bestimmt.
