Volume 1 / Number 1 / Introduction

The articles in this inaugural issue of The Journal of Small and Emerging Business Law were presented at the 1996 Lewis & Clark Law Forum entitled Business Enterprises - The Next Century. The Forum was hosted by the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College on October 4, 1996. The mission of the Lewis & Clark Law Forum is to attract leading scholars to the law school campus each year for open intellectual discussion of issues of national and international importance.
This symposium issue focuses on the recent and rapid development of new business entities. Now free of tax classification rules, new unincorporated firms are seeking their own place in the world of business associations. These articles by a distinguished group of business law scholars provide unique perspectives on the future of the law governing small business enterprises. The authors explore issues such as mandatory fiduciary duties, obstacles to freedom of choice, the wisdom of universal entities, the appropriate role of state legislatures, and the impact of the changes in the law upon existing firms and business relationships.
The following scholars participated in the 1996 Lewis & Clark Law Forum:

·Professor Richard A. Booth, University of Maryland
·J. William Callison, Faegre & Benson, LLP
·Professor Carol R. Goforth, University of Arkansas
·Professor Robert W. Hamilton, University of Texas
·Robert R. Keatinge, Denver, Colorado
·Professor Fred S. McChesney, Emory University
·Professor Larry E. Ribstein, George Mason University