The Legal Environment of Business, from a Partner at Sidley Austin

“Teaching at Patrick Henry College was an amazing experience,” said Professor Cliff Vrielink, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP who taught for the first time at PHC this spring. “The students are what make it so special. They are extraordinarily engaged.” His class, the Legal Environment of Business, explored how law intersects with business. This was a class designed for both Economics & Business Analytics students and those intending to go into law.

“I enjoyed learning about the legal world. Especially for an Economics & Business Analytics major, it was important to take because [increasingly] it’s important to understand how our legal system works,” Isabelle Alessi (EBA, '24) said.

Professor Vrielink appreciated the inquisitiveness of the students. “Not only did they ask a lot of questions, but the questions would exhibit honest and thoughtful curiosity about the topic at hand and would often lead to a much deeper dive into the material,” he said. 

“It was really fun to ask questions,” Alessi said. “[The speakers] just have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry.” She commented that Professor Vrielink was meticulous in the way he broke down concepts and answered questions. “He was a good teacher. I enjoyed his class, and I miss it.” 

“What stood out to me was how he was very humble in how he taught,” said Elijah Mendoza. “You could tell he was extremely sharp and knew what he was talking about.” When Professor Vrielink paused, Mendoza noted, you could tell he was pondering how to say something rather than what to say.  

Mendoza also appreciated Professor Vrielink’s real-life examples. “[It’s] refreshing to be learning from somebody who’s practically involved in [a field]. ... He’s very accomplished, and that lends credence to everything he says.” 

The most challenging part of the class for Mendoza was studying for exams. “You really have to understand the rules of legal logic.” He continued, “It’s not about memorizing facts. It’s more about figuring out how the rules of law work together.” For example, one might be asked to figure out the legal implications of a scenario in which a person burned down his business due to negligence. “You’ve gotta have a really good eye for detail to catch every single nuance of the words in the case and be able to make quick connections between those scenarios and the relevant law.”  

The class met for three hours on Monday evenings, and Professor Vrielink taught about one-third of the classes in person, one-third over Zoom, and one-third of classes were taught by very talented guest lecturers. Preparing for lectures challenged him the most. “I wanted the material to be challenging but not overwhelming,” he said. 

The guest lecturers were also practicing lawyers and could share examples from their fields. Mendoza especially liked Bijan Gilanshah, who serves PHC on the Board of Trustees. Gilanshah taught about international law from his experiences traveling to Antarctica. “It was really cool hearing how he integrated the science and the law,” he said. “When [else] do you get a chance to hear from a guest lecturer who speaks about Antarctic treaties as a way to describe how international law works?”

“I was very impressed [by] their experience, and the fact that they took the time to speak with us meant a lot,” Alessi reflected. She especially enjoyed Ted McBride’s lecture on copyright and patents. She was struck by the extent to which the law encompasses such widely different fields as patents, real estate, and natural resources. “I came to appreciate the rule of law, especially in our country, and...the significance of lawmakers,” she said. 
Mendoza enjoyed Professor Vrielink's end-of-the-semester class, in which he discussed what it looks like to integrate faith and ethics in his profession. “Professor Vrielink talked about how it actually plays out when everything falls apart and it comes down to deciding between the profitable decision and the right decision. Christians should always choose the right decision, even if they’re losing profits.” Professor Vrielink explained that Christians should uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct, even if the law allows for unethical or immoral actions.

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 Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.