Community Organization & Social Enterprise Clinic II

Assisting startup and developing community organizations and social enterprises to create a legal/business structure starts as a collaboration with the client to develop or refine their goals and strategies, to help determine what structure is appropriate, drafting the formation documents consistent with their values, and providing materials and support to ensure that the work is sustainable over time. This clinic teaches both the strategic and the drafting aspects of social enterprise lawyering. The clinic prioritizes work that advances equity and/or supports members of marginalized communities. (Go to the enrollment form at this link to review current/proposed projects: https://forms.gle/dkVn7EeFXt6zh1Ma8.) The clinic is available in both the Fall and the Spring, and students may take either or both semesters of the clinic, in any order. There are no prerequisites, but students may find Corporations, Nonprofit Organizations, or similar courses to be helpful background. In the Spring semester (Clinic II), student teams work with clients to execute their strategies and draft associated legal documents. This may include drafting and filing articles of incorporation or organization, drafting bylaws and associated policies, assisting with obtaining tax-exempt status or establishing relationships with fiscal sponsors and other partners, drafting other legal documents or templates, and developing related guides, FAQs, and other materials to allow the organization to sustain its work over time. Teams engage with clients throughout the semester, assist with or provide instructions for initial filing, and create a package of deliverables including organizational documents and agreements that they present in an advising session with the client at the end of the semester. Depending on client need and student interest, students may also have the option of working on a strategic project in the Spring alongside drafting projects. Students may also (or alternatively) elect to take the Fall semester (Clinic I – LAW 8671), in which student teams work with clients to develop a strategy for their social goals, including determining appropriate legal structures and needs.