University of Utah : S.J. Quinney College of Law

Small Business/Non-Profit Clinic

2^nd and 3^rd year students

The Small Business / Non-Profit Clinic introduces students to the range of skills and legal expertise required to represent small business or non-profit organizations. Students will consult with their client organizations to define the clients’ concerns and goals, formulate plans to address them, and provide legal advice and related services under the supervision of a pro bono consulting lawyer.

Course: Small Business & Non-Profit Law (2 cr., graded, Fall) introduces the skills of problem-definition and problem-solving with clients. It also explores the intersection between law and the client’s mission and the importance of law in regulating financial and other matters. The course will provide a forum to reflect upon the commonalities and differences among the clients (small businesses and non-profit organizations) and their contributions to community development.  The exact contours of the course will also depend upon the nature of the legal work that the students are called upon to undertake.  Recommended pre / co-requisite:  Lawyering Skills or Lawyering Skills and Legal Profession.

Placements: (2 or 3 cr. P/F, Fall). Student teams will be partnered with pro bono lawyer-supervisors who have expertise in business consulting and who will review their legal analysis and work product. Clients will apply for legal consultation through the Utah Non-Profits Association or through an economic development or loan program that serves low-income, minority-owned or women-owned small businesses. Students will interview and advise the client organizations. Students’ work may involve a wide variety of legal issues (e.g. tax, employment law, governmental regulations, corporate governance) and may require documents to be drafted to meet the client’s goals.

Faculty: Professors Kristin Erickson & Elizabeth Whitsett

Registration & Placement:  To enroll in the class and clinic, students must complete the Clinical Application.