The Community and Transactional Lawyering Clinic, first established as the Community Law Clinic in 1996, provides corporate and transactional legal services to New Jersey nonprofit corporations (specifically those corporations that provide services geared to the needs of lower-income people in the City of Newark and nearby urban areas), start-up for-profit businesses and microenterprises, charter schools, and individuals such as artists and inventors.
To reach the Community and Transactional Lawyering Clinic, Call 973-353-5059
The Clinic provides initial corporate organizational work (drafting corporate documents, certificates of incorporation, by-laws and organizational minutes), tax-exempt non-profit status filings, charity registration, real estate transactions, commercial transactions and counseling on choice of organizational form and capacity building with community groups and various associations. Student work also includes contract drafting and review; loan closings; equipment and facilities lease drafting and review; bankruptcy counseling; confidentiality agreements; preparation and revision of employee manuals; non-compete and non-disclosure agreements; board of directors guidance; and joint venture agreements.
The clinic is principally a non-litigation clinic, although it handles a limited number of matters which may involve some litigation such as adult guardianship matters and some oversight and assistance of the small legal staff of one of its largest non-profit, corporate clients, Covenant House of New Jersey. Students may perform some work on intellectual property matters related to their transactional clients.
Finally, the Clinic strives to advance justice and community empowerment by representing resident groups and community development corporations (CDCs) regarding urban redevelopment and planning.
