Community / February 2, 2015

Dingman Center Expands Mentor Network to Include Attorneys as Legal Advisors

The Dingman Center has added to its roster of mentors and advisors by bringing on six attorneys to serve as Dingman Legal Advisors. Beginning Friday, February 6, Dingman Legal Advisors will be available on alternating Fridays to provide free legal advice to student entrepreneurs. These 30-minute appointment-only sessions will allow students to have valuable conversations regarding the legal aspects of their startup.

Legal Office Hours has proven to be a valuable program with maximum attendance for every session including both undergraduate and graduate participants as well as alumni entrepreneurs. The Dingman Center recognizes how crucial it is to offer this kind of advising on a more regular basis as we aim to expand the reach of our programs.

“As more students look to create legal businesses and pursue their ideas beyond the initial idea stage, we want to make sure they have the right resources to answer the most important legal questions as early on as possible, said Managing Director, Elana Fine. ” Students always have questions about business formation, equity splits with co-founders, protecting intellectual property and employee and other contracts. We are fortunate to have a deep bench of lawyers willing to volunteer their time to help students take their first steps towards formalizing their businesses.”

The team of Dingman Legal Advisors includes:

Jon Forster, B.S. ‘86

Steve Grant, B.S. ‘05

Gary Marx

Juliana Neelbauer, J.D. ‘12

Ben Sislen

Genevievette Walker-Lightfoot, MBA ‘07

To read more about Legal Office Hours and Dingman Legal Advisors, visit our website. To learn about getting involved, review the community engagement roles available through the Dingman Center.

Media Contact

Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
301-405-5283  
301-892-0973 Mobile
gmuraski@umd.edu 

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

Back to Top