LegalCORPS volunteer attorneys provide representation in transactional matters in several different areas of nonprofit and small business law. These issues are common for both nonprofits and microenterprises: entity formation, employment advice, contract draft/review, lease review, general business advice, and intellectual property (trademark, copyright, patent).

LegalCORPS provides periodic, no-cost training on nonprofit and small business law and prefers that all volunteers attend these sessions.  Most get approval for CLE credit.  Some past trainings are available on DVD.

LegalCORPS will place cases with attorneys who have significant experience in the pertinent areas of law for the particular cases, even if they have not attended LegalCORPS' training sessions.  LegalCORPS will place volunteers who do not have significant experience in the pertinent areas of law for particular cases if they have attended LegalCORPS training sessions, or if it can pair those volunteers with more experienced mentors.  

LegalCORPS makes a strong effort to provide mentors to attorneys who are new or wanting to gain more experience with a subject area. The mentor and mentored attorney can decide how best to structure their work during the course of the representation.  

While providing pro bono legal assistance to clients through LegalCORPS, registered attorneys are covered by malpractice insurance through LegalCORPS' contract with Volunteer Lawyers Network. 

LAW STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:  LegalCORPS works with the Minnesota Justice Foundation to place law students to assist volunteer lawyers at drop-in clinics, to work with volunteer attorneys on full representation cases, and to work on other LegalCORPS projects. 

To work directly with attorneys in full representation cases, students must be in their second year of law school and have completed LegalCORPS training. Students must also have completed (or be in the midst of taking) a business law course. The attorney and student can determine how best to structure the student’s work during the course of the representation.

PROSPECTIVE VOLUNTEERS: Thank you for your interest in LegalCORPS! If you would like to volunteer please complete the volunteer application. In addition to updates about trainings and events, registered LegalCORPS volunteers receive an e-mail update on LegalCORPS matters of interest at least monthly.

CURRENT VOLUNTEER LAWYERS:  If you have completed a case for LegalCORPS, please fill out the case closing form and return it as soon as possible.

Volunteer Attorney Training CLEs for 2008: 

CLE course approval: The Minnesota Board of Continuing Legal Education has awarded 2.0 hours of standard CLE credit for its May 14, 2008, program -- which was presented by Harry Haynsworth and Dudley Ryan on starting a business in Minnesota and tax issues for choosing a legal entity for small businesses.

LegalCORPS will seek 3.0 hours of regular CLE credit for its volunteers who attend Roger Belfay's July 26 presentation on "Traps and Pitfalls in Intellectual Property" at the Minneapolis Central Library. (See notice).

Although we have not yet set dates for other no-charge volunteer training sessions, plans are under way for programs on  immigration law basics for advising immigrant entrepreneurs, and on advising nonprofit organizations.

Please check back here for updates.  

CLE course approvals in 2007:

January 16, 2007: Introduction to Nonprofit Law and How to Supervise Law Students -- Approved 1 standard CLE credit and 1 Professional Development credit.

January 23, 2007: Introduction to Small Business Law and How to Supervise Law Students -- Approved 1 standard CLE credit and .75 Professional Development credit.

February 20, 2007: Employment Law for Nonprofts and Board Liability -- Approved 2 standard CLE credits

June 6, 2007: Fundamentals of Commercial Leasing Webinar -- Approved 1 standard CLE credit

Attorney F.A.Q.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions by attorney volunteers.