Legal Certificates

This certificate program from Cornell Law School will provide you with an introduction to the U.S. legal system and how it operates in a business environment. Throughout the courses, you will discover how to make informed business decisions based on your understanding of legal language and concepts. You will have the opportunity to explore the specific functions of different bodies of law and determine how to harness them by planning a legal compliance strategy. Examining each step of the litigation process, you’ll develop the ability to analyze whether using litigation is the best path to resolve your business conflicts. Beyond the litigation, you’ll also explore the limitations of judicial and regulatory power, how they may protect your business interests, and when you should find alternative protections for a specific business case. By the end of this certificate program, you will be able to navigate legal ambiguity, find the best way to collaborate with legal counsel, and assess the costs and benefits of pursuing various legal options.

The path to a legal solution travels many roads and can often take a detour depending on the information lawyers uncover as they search for answers. Whether you’re a paralegal, law clerk, or business leader, this certificate program from Cornell Law School will help you explore strategies and resources that lawyers use to find law and legal precedent and identify how they apply that information to find solutions for their clients.

Cornell Law School Professor Kim Nayyer will guide you as you discover legal resources that even nonlawyers can access in libraries or online, for free, including a template for developing a research strategy. You will also explore how lawyers across practice areas use specialized knowledge management systems, tools, and artificial intelligence products in their quest for legal solutions.

By the end of the program, you will be able to see a legal question from a lawyer’s perspective, understand how they develop a strategy for approaching legal research, and determine the best resources for the specific legal information a lawyer needs.

Every written word can carry legal implications, and how persuasive your communications are can make the difference between mere words and impactful influence that can resonate, captivate, and ultimately shape outcomes in your favor.

This certificate program explores various ways attorneys communicate with their business clients along with the best practices to make those communications more effective for all involved. Whether you’re drafting business documents or composing emails with potential litigation ties, our Legal Writing and Communication program empowers you to communicate confidently in today’s evolving legal landscape.

Developed by Cornell Law School Professor Michelle Whelan, this program helps you examine the legal implications of your written and oral communications as well as some strategies for mitigating any risks associated with them. Since there may be times when you could be called to testify on behalf of your organization, you will explore how to be an effective corporate representative.

As you delve deeper into the program, you’ll explore the intricacies of witness interviews and uncovering potential biases. Witness interviews call for special consideration, and you will discover best practices for capturing witness accounts, including a template for documenting them. Could a hidden bias undermine an effective interview? You will have the opportunity to use a self-test designed to uncover any potential bias you may have. Finally, you will develop your skills of persuasion, which can be critical when creating business documents and drafting emails that could be tied to litigation.