Chaz Brooks Joins AUWCL as Assistant Professor and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic Co-Director
He Brings Expertise in Entrepreneurship and Legal Affairs to Foster Community Impact
American University Washington College of Law is pleased to welcome Chaz Brooks to the faculty as an Assistant Professor and co-director of the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic for the 2023 fall semester. He joins the faculty from Georgetown University Law Center.
Growing up, Brooks aspired to help people pursue economic opportunities. He recognized that the legal landscape might discourage some members of the community from following their entrepreneurial dreams. After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, Brooks embarked on his career at Latham & Watkins, a prominent Washington, DC-based law firm that specializes in providing counsel on corporate and regulatory matters.
From there, Brooks moved to EJF Capital where he was responsible for the firm's legal affairs. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Brooks said he “felt like I needed to be more connected to the academic scholarship” discussing the topics he cared for most and completed a two-year fellowship at Georgetown Law School’s Social Enterprise & Nonprofit Law Clinic.
Brooks is now the co-director of the Entrepreneurship Law Clinic here at American University Washington College of Law.
“I want to be a part of creating an institution that is known within the community,” he said. “A place where people who might not know where to start with their business ideas have heard of the clinic and know that it is a place where the directors and bright students are very focused on the work they want to achieve.”
Brooks emphasized that the clinic provides students with an opportunity to both improve their community and support individuals in achieving their dreams. The experience allows them to gain practical skills while working with “clients that are doing work that we think impacts the community in a positive way.”
Brooks also mentioned that the clinic serves as an excellent platform for teamwork and hands-on client interaction.
“It’s a really great place to collaborate with a teammate and be the first chair working with clients who run the gambit from non-profits to small business owners, to entrepreneurs who have a grand vision of how to scale something,” he said.
Story by Brice Helms.