Brian Seaman had graduated in 2002. In about 2004 we were chatting about the ill state of professional practices and how graduates just didn't get the "big picture" when it came to setting up an office.

It has always been my belief that a professional school, like chiropractic colleges, should teach students 3 fundamental things. First, how to diagnose a condition. Second, how to deal with a patient health problem. And third, how to create the environment in which those processes will take place. It does not matter how wonderful a diagnostician or practitioner a graduate might be -- if they are unable to create the office envirnment in which to carry out those functions they will be doomed to failure. This can come in many forms: not hiring proper staff; bad accounting methods; inappropriate leasing; over consumption of practice equipment etc. etc etc.

But lecturing has its limitations. Looking at drowsy faces at 8:00 am. on a Wednesday morning, there may have been a few students who were able to survive the two hours of diatribe even if it was mixed with ill humor, sarcasm, wit and words of "worlds ending and impending disasters".

During the conversation with Brian, we stumbled on the idea that the students should be required to "walk the walk" before stepping into the "real" world. This would be based upon the students being put into groups of between 4 to 6 students and being required to create a business plan involving anything from the establishing of an office; associating, purchasing a practice or any variation. The project would require that the students do a demographic study; lease or buy property; create an office design; cost out the leaseholds, equipment and office supplies; do a bank proposal including financial statements; create office policies and marketing; deal with insurance and patient documents. It truly was to be the creation of an office.

The first year of its use would be 1985. I was going to name it the "Seaman Project" but was a little concerned about the maturity of my students. I was then going to use Brian's initials, but I had even more concern about the title "BS Project", so it eventually became the Jurisprudence Project.