Frequently asked questions
Here you find some questions frequently asked by those seeking advice and by (prospective) consultans of our Startupo Clinic.
by those seeking advice
On which topics can the StartUp Clinic support me?
The StartUp Clinic provides advice on business and legal topics related to startups. This currently includes business model development, pitching as well as elements of IT and e-commerce law (creating an imprint, legal framework in e-commerce law, scope of a privacy policy), and industrial property rights (design, trademark, and copyright law).
However, not all cases are suitable for processing by students. In particular, special questions and problems with special economic significance are reserved for legal or other expert advice. Unfortunately, we cannot accept these cases after a preliminary examination. The StartUp Clinic is, of course, also happy to assist you with individual questions, both with its own know-how and with the know-how of the mentor pool.
Where do I find the StartUp Clinic?
The StartUp Clinic is located at the startup consultancies of the Justu- Liebig Universität Giessen (for members of the JLU and THM) and the Phillips-UniversitätMarburg.
When can I ask student advising for advice?
In short: at any time. Simply describe your need for advice in the SupportMi Check-In and we will review whether your request is suitable for student advice. In any case, there are experts in other areas, such as university start-up consultancies, who can help you with many possible questions. We will be happy to support you in your search.
Who is eligible for the student advisory service?
The service is available to all students and members as well as alumni (up to 5 years after leaving the respective university) of the Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, the Philipps-Universität Marburg und the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen.
Which particulars should be taken into account?
The advice is given by students. This means that the advisors have specialist knowledge and are also trained to advise carefully and correctly. However, especially in student consulting with regard to the above-mentioned legal topics, the advice of a (legally trained) student consultant cannot be fully compared with the work, experience, and care of an experienced lawyer. It is important to keep this in mind when engaging us. If, for example, due to the complexity of your case, our preliminary review determines that your request is not suitable for student counsel with us, we will report this back to you. In this case, you are welcome to approach one of the (regional) lawyers and instruct them.
The confidentiality and secrecy of the consultants is agreed upon contractually (orally in the case of business consulting) with each individual person seeking consulting prior to each consultation. Likewise, every consultation is recorded. This and also the corresponding consent regarding your data will then be determined in a written order (consulting order).
Do I need to sign a contract?
Teilweise. Grundlage der studentischen Rechtsberatung ist ein so genannter "Beratungsauftrag", der von dir vor Tätigwerden der studentischen Beratenden zu unterzeichnen ist. In diesem schriftlichen Auftrag regeln wir vor allem den Umfang der Beratungsleistung, die Haftungsmodalitäten, den Datenschutz und (für dich sicherlich nicht unerheblich) die Unentgeltlichkeit der Erbringung der studentischen Beratungsleistung.
Which legal principles apply to student legal services?
Extrajudicial legal advice by persons who are not admitted to the bar is governed by Part 3 of the Legal Services Act (RDG). Section 6 of the RDG provides a special regulation for free legal advice: Such advice may be given not only by lawyers qualified to hold judicial office (Section 6(1) RDG), but also by other laypersons (Section 6(2) RDG), provided that they are instructed by a fully qualified lawyer (lawyer qualified to hold judicial office, e.g. licensed lawyers).
What is the cost of using the student counseling service?
The use is free of charge, and voluntary contributions to the advisors are not allowed. This results from the legal situation described above; only free legal advice is permitted.
What is the structure of liability?
Students cannot be expected to meet the same standards as lawyers; however, blatant or even deliberate misadvice is not acceptable, even in the case of a free advisory relationship.
If damage actually occurs as a result of the advice we have given, and the person giving the advice can be accused of gross negligence or intent, he or she must provide appropriate compensation.
Since neither a contract exists with the lawyers accompanying the consultation nor with the participating universities, claims against them in this regard are excluded.
What is the procedure for a consultation?
After reviewing the eligibility of the case for student counseling and signing the above consulting contract, the student team (consisting of business and law students) will contact you. Together, you will then determine the focus, objectives, and scheduling of the case during the consultation. Usually, individual consultations on specific issues are offered, for which a comprehensive and constantly evolving methodological toolbox and a well-equipped modern consulting room are available. Once the consultation is completed, we ask you to fill out a feedback form so that we can continuously improve the quality of the consultation.
How can I become a consultant and which qualifications do I need?
In principle, every student of economics and law who is currently enrolled at of the Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, the Philipps-Universität Marburg und the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen can participate as a consultant. We do not expect expert knowledge from you, but an intrinsic motivation to share your knowledge and to consolidate it in practice. No matter in which phase of your studies you are, we believe that you can support founders with your expertise in realizing their vision. For your work, we provide you with a comprehensive collection of methods and offer you a training day every semester, where interesting impulse lectures and workshops await you. You will also receive help from experienced mentors who will support you with their expertise and you can also take advantage of the courses in our qualification program.
We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions by members of the consulting team here. You can also contact us at any time.
You can apply online right here.by (prospective) consultants
Who may act as a consultant?
In principle, every economics or law student currently enrolled at the Justus-Liebig-Universität, the Technische Hochschule MIttelhessen - University of Applied Sciences, or the Philipps-Universität Marburg can participate as a consultant.
Why is it worth working at the StartUp Clinic?
You get the opportunity to apply and deepen the skills and knowledge you have acquired during your studies in practical and real situations. In this way, you will not only gain valuable experience for your career, but potential founders will also be very grateful for your performance. In addition, your consulting skills are constantly being expanded through regular training and coaching. Working in an interdisciplinary team helps you acquire relevant knowledge that goes beyond your studies. Finally, at the end of your work, you will receive a confirmation of your qualified voluntary work, in which the contents of your completed consultations and your skills are documented.
Which cases are processed as part of the StartUp Clinic?
In the clinic, you will only work on cases for which you have been prepared in a corresponding training. Currently, our consulting services include business modeling, pitching, and parts of IT and e-commerce law (creating an imprint, legal framework in e-commerce, scope of a data protection declaration), and industrial property rights (design, trademark, and copyright).
What obligations do I have as a consultant?
You declare that, together with other students, you are willing to consult to the best of your knowledge and belief. You prepare the consultations with your colleagues and, if necessary, with the help of professional mentors. You document the consultation by the rules, but also treat information about your consultation case confidentially and do not pass it on to third parties. For cases involving legal issues a “consulting contract” is signed.
What's the liability like?
You are only liable for errors in the consultation in the event of gross negligence or intent. The decisive factor here is not the standard of care of a lawyer (which you are not yet), but the skills of a law or economics student (when advising on business administration topics).
What's the expected workload?
That depends a bit on the number of inquiries and the respective case. However, since the consultations are primarily focussed consultations on individual issues, the average working time should not be more than one to two hours per week. There can always be more work-intensive and quieter weeks. Overall, however, the work can be designed flexibly and can be adapted to the pace of your studies.
Keep in mind that the cases are not covered by you alone, but by interdisciplinary teams of three to five student advisors in close cooperation with those interested in starting a business and with the support of experienced mentors.
What is the rough consultation process?
Those interested in starting a business request advice in which they describe their needs. We then conduct a preliminary check in which we decide whether the request can be processed within the scope of the consulting services of the Startup clinic. If this is the case, we assign the case to a suitable team, which makes contact with those seeking advice. As part of the consultation, the focus, the objective, and the scheduling of the case are then jointly determined. Generally, individual consultations are offered on specific topics, for which a comprehensive and constantly evolving method toolbox and a modern consultation room are available.