You can submit a request if your organization needs support, visit our nonprofit legal advice resource page and webinars, or schedule a free consultation with our employer helpline. We also offer five workshops in a nonprofit emerging training certificate for founders of nonprofit startups as part of our boot camp program. Seyfarth Shaw LLP lawyers are available for free 30-minute telephone consultations with eligible not-for-profit organizations and small employers on employment law matters. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates about our transactional legal work. You can schedule a free consultation with our Employer Helpline or visit our resource page for legal advice, webinars and other materials. We also offer small business clinics in Chicago neighborhoods, as well as free walk-in consultations at City Hall`s Solution Station every Wednesday – check out our upcoming events on our calendar. As your business grows, the Chicago Lawyers` Committee is available to continue to assist you with legal matters. “I don`t think only Fortune 500 companies should have access to quality legal services. It is important that all lawyers use the skills they have to help where they can. The equality of justice before the law is not only a legend on the façade of the Supreme Court building, it is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. But for equal justice to be more than a slogan, it is fundamental that justice be equal in content and availability, regardless of economic status. For far too many people, equal access to justice is more of a promise than a practice, especially in the civil justice system, where the right to counsel is not guaranteed as in criminal cases.
In other words, if a low-income family is unfairly displaced, if a woman is abused by her spouse or if an elderly person is the victim of consumer fraud, she is left to fend for herself in a system developed by lawyers for lawyers. That`s where Legal Aid Chicago comes in. For over 50 years, Legal Aid Chicago has provided free, high-quality legal services to people living in poverty in Cook County. Erica Spangler Raz, Senior Counsel and Director of Pro Bono WorksAngela Dear, Paralegal and Program Partner We offer legal support to entrepreneurs and social enterprises who are starting or have their own small business to create financial independence. Since most contractors work on a tight budget, seeking legal advice is often prohibitively expensive. We offer these legal services for small businesses: Legal Steps to Creating a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit – Gain in-depth knowledge of the legal requirements and various filings to start a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit corporation. As an advocate for people living in poverty, Legal Aid Chicago sees structural racism disrupting the health and stability of low-income communities and perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Free legal aid is a tool to combat racism in all its forms. Legal Aid Chicago partners with legal aid organizations across the country to speak out against and fight racial injustice, including racially biased policing. We are proud to support and encourage volunteer representation of the poor and working poor in the Chicago area. COVID-19 Remote Brief Advice Clinic: Existing non-profit organizations that are eligible to operate before 2/15/20 and have experienced the effects of the COVID-19 crisis can request an appointment to schedule an appointment during a 30-minute remote consultation with a pro bono lawyer using this form. Typical consultations include early termination of a commercial lease or other contract, inability to meet contract terms due to the economic impact of the pandemic on the operation of a small business or not-for-profit organization, and employer concerns.
Employer Helpline: If you manage employees of a non-profit organization, the following employment law questions are inevitable: Should you convert your secondary job to a legal entity? Relationships between independent contractors and employeesCan we use it? Using photos of other people in your promotional materialsChicago prescription requires paid sick leaveI-9 Overview for employersSpecial zoning in the city of ChicagoBrand or non-brand If you have a legal problem or your legal rights are in question, remember that you have someone to turn to.