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Leadership for Attorneys in Business Certificate

Enhance your business knowledge and become a trusted adviser and indispensable leader in your organization.

Stay tuned for 2023-24 dates

Portland Campus

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The Leadership for Attorneys in Business (LAB) certificate program is uniquely designed for in-house counsel like you, who want to become invaluable members of their organization's management and executive teams. It provides the concepts, skills, tools, and resources to help you become indispensable.

You will learn to be trusted advisers and leaders by understanding and thinking about issues the way business decision-makers do.

Karen Sandrik headshot

Karen Sandrik

Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Business Lawyering Institute and Director of the Certificate Program in Law and Business

Karen teaches lawyers on how to view their job as value-added service to their organizations.

Sukhsimranjit Singh headshot

Sukhsimranjit Singh

Managing Director of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution and Associate Professor of Law and Practice at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law

Sukhsimranjit teaches negotiations, communications, and conflict resolution.

Jo Smith headshot

Jo Smith

Certified Management Consultant, executive coach, and speaker

Jo teaches leadership and leadership development.

Nicole Thibodeau headshot

Nicole Thibodeau

Associate Professor of Accounting Practice

Nicole teaches financial reports and decisions.

Why

LeadershipforAttorneys in Business?

This highly interactive program reinforces learning with real-life stories and examples from experienced practitioners. Participants learn to be better lawyers, advisers and leaders, enhancing their organizational value and professional satisfaction. This program provides an opportunity to connect and engage with other in-house attorneys who share similar experiences, challenges and opportunities.

A Valuable Learning Experience

Participants will increase their effectiveness and value to their organizations by learning to:

  • Offer legal advice that enables the achievement of business goals
  • Understand financial reporting and the financial impact of legal advice
  • Master communication and negotiation skills to build cross-functional consensus and drive results
  • Build relationships with key decision-makers and frame advice for maximum impact

A Dynamic Program

Taught by faculty from Willamette University's Atkinson Graduate School of Management and College of Law as well as industry practitioners, the 4-day program is highly interactive and individualized. It has historically been approved for 24 Oregon CLEs and 24.5 Washington CLEs.

The program includes an opening dinner with a panel of experienced in-house counsel from prominent local businesses as well as an individual one-hour leadership coaching session.

What recent executives and participants say

“The Atkinson program deserves credit for helping our Assistant General counsel advance in the Company's leadership ranks. He has worked hard on the business side of the Company, and is doing well transitioning from looking at things first from the legal perspective, to taking a broader, more comprehensive view of the Company's strategic goals and projects. I'm very encouraged, and think the program was a worthwhile investment.”

Corey J. Parks
Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel
Les Schwab Tire Centers

“Traveling to Portland from Indianapolis was well worth the trip. The WU LAB program was very well managed and full of substantively helpful content. Each instructor is an expert who shared tips to help with our professional legal development and career.”

Julie Ragsdale
VP and Associate General Counsel
Strada Education Network
Willamette University

Executive Development Center

Salem Campus

Address
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6791

Portland Campus

Address
200 SW Market Street, Suite 101
Portland Oregon 97201 U.S.A.
Phone
971-717-7260