Community Economic Development Clinic
The Community Economic Development (CED) Clinic teaches transactional practice skills to students through the representation of nonprofit corporations, community-based associations and enterprises, and small businesses. The clinic provides both challenging client work and a rigorous classroom component to expose students to substantive legal concepts related to community economic development and business law. Client work may include drafting corporate formation documents; assisting nonprofit organizations with tax-exempt applications and maintenance of tax-exempt status; drafting and negotiating contracts; acting as general counsel to nonprofit corporations and small businesses; working with state and local government agencies; and assisting with community-oriented real estate transactions and other transactions related to economic development and redevelopment projects. In addition, students may research issues related to public policies that affect clinic clients and provide community education workshops on substantive law issues pertinent to the clinic’s practice areas. Students also learn practice skills, including client counseling, negotiation, research and planning, drafting, advocacy, and understanding the role of culture and group dynamics. Through both client work and the seminar component, students are exposed to a variety of social systems that impact their clients and are encouraged to think reflectively about the nature of transactional advocacy in the public’s interest. Students direct all aspects of the representation and work under the supervision of Professor Patience Crowder and a Clinical Fellow.
Potential Clients
Potential clients must submit a Request for Legal Services Form. If you represent a for-profit entity (or are interested in forming a for-profit entity), fill out the For-Profit Request for Legal Services Form. If you represent a nonprofit organization (or are interested in forming a nonprofit organization), fill out the Nonprofit Request for Legal Services Form. If you are an artist, fill out the Artist Request for Legal Services Form. (Note for Macs: You may need to use Adobe Reader to fill out the forms as opposed to the Preview application.)
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