VLS is playing a crucial role in making Vermont’s post-pandemic economic recovery more equitable. Through an expanded and federally supported partnership with the Vermont Small Business Development Center and Vermont Bar Association, The Center for Legal Innovation at VLS will bring targeted legal education and assistance to those hardest-hit by the turmoil wrought by COVID-19: business owners who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, or veterans; and rural, socioeconomically or otherwise disadvantaged businesses.
The funding came from the Small Business Administration’s Community Navigator Pilot Program, a national initiative introduced by President Biden and Vice President Harris. The goal of the CNPP is to reduce barriers preventing diverse and underserved small businesses from accessing critical support. The program is rolling out across the country, using a hub-and-spoke model of trusted organizations to provide various forms of assistance to business owners. The VtSBDC is Vermont’s hub. VLS was chosen as one of nine spoke organizations providing outreach and assistance to Vermont’s diverse businesses. For VLS, this assistance will take the form of legal resources, tools and training to eligible entrepreneurs
Eicks and Professor of Law Nicole Killoran JD/MELP’12 are currently developing online legal resources and tools to help small business owners gain a general understanding of legal requirements, options, and opportunities. They are also planning to offer direct consultations to small businesses from underserved communities; and to partner with the Vermont Bar Association to refer small business for five to ten hours of free legal service.
“The grant is a natural extension of our ongoing partnership with the VtSBDC. Through this partnership, we have been able to provide legal education to small businesses in Vermont about everything from entity formation to land use planning to intellectual property,” said Jeanette Eicks, Research Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Legal Innovation. “When the SBA announced the grant, it was a clear opportunity to expand those services and better understand the legal needs of underserved business communities in Vermont.”
Eicks and Killoran are planning a listening tour to discover what legal topics are important to business owners from the communities they will serve. They will use the knowledge they gain to develop public workshops addressing those topics and connect with underserved businesses who may benefit from free legal educational services.
Killoran and Eicks also expect the program to further strengthen ties between VLS and the Vermont legal community. The grant includes 1250 hours of pro bono legal work for approved businesses, and they will be utilizing the assistance, support, and network of the Vermont Bar Association to refer them to Vermont attorneys. VLS students will be involved in the program as well, learning how to meet the legal needs of entrepreneurs and building connections in the legal and business communities.
“We hope to be able to lift up underrepresented businesses and diverse communities in the state, in furtherance of our mission,” said Killoran. “We look forward to working with our students and hearing from our diverse business communities to target their needs for legal education and services.”
To learn more about this initiative, follow its progress, and request free services, visit https://www.vermontlaw.edu/cnpp.