From Classroom to Client Call

Charlie Wied 2L doesn’t wait for the phone to ring. He makes the call.

As a student at University of Wisconsin Law School, Wied is already advising real clients through the Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic, a hands-on program that operates like a private law firm.

Students act as business counsel to entrepreneurs across Wisconsin. They interview clients, draft documents, manage engagements and see the impact of their work in real time.

“From day one, we’re working with real people and real businesses,” Wied said. “That’s what makes it special.”

Wied serves as a student associate in the clinic, working alongside about 30 classmates under the supervision of licensed attorneys. He leads initial client interviews, handles correspondence, conducts legal research and drafts documents, all under close attorney oversight.

“It feels like a real practice,” he said. “We’re given responsibility, but we’re never on our own.”

That balance is what drew him in.

Wied grew up in De Pere, Wis., where his family owned and operated gas stations and convenience stores. It’s safe to say that small business was the backdrop of his childhood. The clinic brings that world into the classroom.

“We can make real differences in people’s entrepreneurial journeys,” he said. “And we do it free of charge. That commitment to the Wisconsin community is huge.”

Wied’s path to law school runs straight through Madison. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, double majoring in accounting and finance at the Wisconsin School of Business. During his undergraduate years, his interest shifted from accounting to the intersection of law and business.

“I realized I wanted to help people solve problems,” he said. “Law was the best way to do that.”

UW Law was a natural fit.

Wied plans to graduate in spring of 2027 and begin his career in Wisconsin. This summer, he will join Foley & Lardner as a summer associate in the firm’s Milwaukee office, with a focus on corporate law.

UW Law, he said, has prepared him well. Substantive courses built his foundation. The clinic sharpened his practical skills. And the school’s writing program changed his trajectory.

“It felt like learning a new language,” he said. “My professors pushed me, and it made all the difference.”

Wied is also an associate on the Wisconsin Law Review and plans to pursue his CPA license. For him, the goal is clear.

“I want to help businesses succeed,” he said. “UW Law is giving me the tools to do exactly that.”

 

By Brian Walker