Catholic Law students Brandon McKee (4E), Kierra Giarrusso (3D), and Joseph Nazzaro (3D) delivered a  presentation, "Creative Content & the Law: Crediting, Licensing, and Fair Use," to undergraduates in the Busch School of Business’s course, ENT118: The Vocation of Business. Co-taught by Andreas Widmer, Director of the Arthur & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship and Associate Professor of Practice, and Rebecca Teti, Operations Director, Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship, the class explores the value and purpose of business as a vehicle for creativity and mission.

The law students guided attendees through the nuanced rules for using digital assets such as music and images from the internet, emphasizing the legal safeguards necessary for business growth. Brandon McKee highlighted the strategic dimension of intellectual property, stating, "In today’s innovation-driven market, intellectual property is more than a legal requirement; it is a primary strategic asset. We wanted to show these entrepreneurs that mastering concepts like licensing and fair use isn't just about avoiding risk—it’s about securing a competitive advantage and building a defensible foundation for their long-term growth and mission." The presentation also served as a bridge between the undergraduate university and the Law School. Kierra Giarrusso reflected, “This presentation was an excellent opportunity to bridge the gap between the undergraduate university and the Law School. By breaking down concepts like fair use, licensing, and attribution, we aimed to equip students with practical legal knowledge they can apply immediately as they build creative and resilient businesses.”

Supporting this commitment to blending theory and practical experience, the Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic (LEC), led by Catholic Law’s Professor Alexander Hoffarth, plays a pivotal role in The Catholic University of America’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The LEC enables student attorneys to engage directly with student-led ventures and local startups, providing transactional and counseling legal services on entity formation, intellectual property, contracts, and employment matters. With hands-on responsibility for client matters and under close faculty supervision, LEC students gain valuable real-world skills, advising a dynamic portfolio that currently includes two startups run by recent Catholic University graduates and one founded by a current undergraduate. Through these initiatives, the LEC exemplifies the vital intersection between legal education and entrepreneurial achievement.