The Law School’s inaugural Business Boot Camp took place via Zoom each night of Spring Break, March 15-19. The Business Boot Camp is an initiative promoted by Dean Camille A. Nelson to equip students with a foundation in basic business concepts, improve students’ financial literacy, and preview the Law School’s business courses. Professor Charles D. Booth led the course organization and served as moderator for each class, assisted by Law Lecturer Garrett I. Halydier ’15. In the first session, Dean Nelson welcomed the students and discussed the importance of the course. Professor Booth introduced basic concepts in financial literacy and discussed how to develop financial and business skill sets. Bankruptcy Judge Robert J. Faris discussed credit card debt and credit score management. In the second session, Professor Justin D. Levinson and Professor Nicholas A. Mirkay instructed the students to set up several imaginary technology companies to help the students learn about business formation and corporate taxation concepts. In the third session, Lauren R. Sharkey, Case Lombardi & Pettit law firm, showed the students how to read balance sheets, cash flow statements, income statements, and other corporate financial documents. Andrea K. Ushijima ’13 introduced the students to real estate finance in Hawai‘i, and Professor Booth discussed secured transactions. In the fourth session, Judge Faris discussed basic personal and corporate bankruptcy concepts and addressed the difficulties in discharging student loans. In the Boot Camp’s closing session, Ted N. Pettit ’86 moderated an interactive panel of small firm, large firm, commercial, civil, transactional, and litigation lawyers to show how financial literacy and basic commercial skills are useful to all lawyers. The panel included Professors Charles Booth and Sherry P. Broder, Trust for Public Land Director Lea Hong ’91, and Attorneys Ted N. Pettit ’86, Tod Z. Tanaka, and Miyoko Pettit-Toledo ’15. Dean Nelson and Professor Booth extend a huge mahalo to all of those students and speakers who gave up time during Spring Break evenings to participate in the inaugural Business Boot Camp and lay the foundation for the future of business law at Richardson.
