One entrepreneur reached an important milestone in the spring when she successfully secured a commercial lease at 915 Broad Street in Newark with the assistance of a Rutgers Law School clinic and one of its student attorneys.
Business owner Tara Williams recently took possession of the keys to a retail space that will become the flagship Creativity Center for Bricks 4 Kidz Essex County this summer, marking a significant step forward in growing her STEAM-based edutainment enterprise in Newark. Her Bricks 4 Kidz franchise provides hands-on STEAM-based educational enrichment opportunities using LEGO® bricks and similar materials during afterschool programs, birthday parties, events, camps, in-school and professional development workshops.
Her path to securing the space was supported by the Rutgers Business School Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development (CUEED) and the law school’s Community and Transactional Lawyering (CTL) Clinic, where students provide transactional legal services to community clients. Then-third-year law student Brandon Aufiero ’26 negotiated the lease for the property and worked closely with Williams throughout the process. Under faculty supervision of Professor Tomica Burke Saul, CTL co-director, Aufiero handled key aspects of the representation, including advising the client, negotiating lease terms, and ensuring that the agreement aligned with her business needs and long-term goals.
Aufiero demonstrated a high level of professionalism and attention to detail while navigating the complexities of a commercial leasing transaction. His work helped secure an agreement that positions Williams for a successful launch in a prominent downtown location. For his work, Aufiero received the Miron M. Walley Memorial Prize at Commencement which is given to the graduating student who has excelled in coursework in the field of real estate transactions.
He said, “Working in the Clinic was one of the most educational experiences I had throughout my three years at Rutgers Law, but also one of the most eye-opening. As I navigated the complex legal world of leasing and real estate law with Tara Williams of Bricks 4 Kidz Essex County, I inadvertently learned the importance of client communication and ensuring that the law I was applying met the needs and goals of the client.”
Williams added, “It was a great experience working with Brandon Aufiero, Professor Saul and her team. Their work was critical to helping me better understand commercial leasing, my rights as a tenant, and how to negotiate more favorable terms with a landlord. I applaud the work that is being done through the Clinic and wholeheartedly recommend the CTLC services to urban entrepreneurs seeking support with any legal matters.”
Williams welcomed members of the Clinic team to visit the space in April as she prepared to open for business. The project highlights the Clinic’s dual mission of providing students with hands-on legal training while delivering meaningful services to the local community. For Aufiero, the experience offered practical exposure to transactional lawyering, including client counseling, negotiation strategy, and contract drafting—skills essential to his transition into professional practice. For Newark, the addition of another small business on Broad Street contributes to ongoing efforts to strengthen the city’s economic and commercial landscape.
Professor Saul said, “Tara is exactly the type of client we look for in the CTLC. First, Tara is deeply rooted in Newark and wants to build something for its residents. Second, she needed transactional legal help at a critical scaling point for her business. We hope Brandon’s year-long work in demystifying her commercial lease and negotiating with the developer added value to Bricks 4 Kidz. The rare bonus for Brandon and me was seeing the culmination of that work in real-time at her storefront this spring.”
First established as the Community Law Clinic in 1996, CTL 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. The Clinic strives to advance justice and community empowerment by representing resident groups and community development corporations in urban redevelopment and planning.
One of the goals of the Rutgers Law Strategic Plan is to deepen connections with our communities through our clinical programs. Our strategy is to strengthen relationships with community members and key constituencies to ensure that clinical offerings are informed by and responsive to community needs. Click here to learn more about our Strategic Plan.