Community Economic Development

Learn transactional lawyering by serving as counsel to nonprofit organizations pursuing racial, economic and social justice. Help low-income communities and low-wage workers build and sustain organizations to meet their needs and improve their lives.

You will join with Law for Black Lives to protect and promote Black land ownership. You will serve as counsel to low-wage worker organizations and community land trusts, co-ops, and other community organizations. Your work will help establish and maintain essential resources such as affordable housing, childcare centers, health clinics, worker centers and domestic violence shelters.

You will help grassroots start-up nonprofits to incorporate, obtain tax exemption and develop bylaws and internal structure. You will team with faculty to assist more established, mid-sized organizations with more complex transactional projects -- to negotiate contracts and commercial leases, acquire real estate, navigate regulatory compliance, limit tax and tort liability, and help clients plan and execute programs and activities. You will learn to negotiate, mediate, facilitate, draft legal documents, make community presentations, and help clients assess risks and opportunities.

The CED Clinic is a collaborative environment in which student lawyers work together in faculty-supervised teams that partner with clients, community activists, and outside lawyers. Evening students are welcome.

Taking a Clinic was one of the best decisions I made in law school. Today, I work in the Tax-Exempt Organizations practice group of a major law firm, utilizing many of the transactional skills I developed while in the CED clinic.

Justin Peters
Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP
Community Economic Development Clinic 2015