Businesses and Entrepreneurs

For owners of businesses or those who want to form a business, attorneys can provide the sound legal advice that can be essential for business success. Our mission is to increase access to legal assistance for entrepreneurs and business owners, especially those that strengthen Minnesota communities.

LegalCORPS assists entrepreneurs and businesses with transactional business law matters. This can include document drafting, general guidance, negotiation, and other non-litigation (court) services in many areas of business law. LegalCORPS does not help with matters in litigation, but we can arrange for advice and assistance that could help mitigate risk and prevent litigation down the line.

Our dedicated team coordinates multiple services that cover a broad spectrum of legal needs, including brief advice clinics and limited scope representation*.

LegalCORPS offers no cost** Paid Leave Educational Workshops and 1:1 Limited Scope Representation through a program paid for by Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Please contact Mamoun Alassouli at malassouli@legalcorps.org or to learn more. LegalCORPS Directors can be contacted from the Our Team page.

Unfortunately, we are unable to assist individuals who are currently incarcerated.

*To be eligible for limited scope representation via a pro bono attorney, an entrepreneur or small business owner must either live in Minnesota or be incorporating a business here, and their gross monthly household income must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the size of his or her household. There is a $50 placement fee to be paid before being placed with an attorney.  View the 200% chart here.

**LegalCORPS also provides limited scope representation through community partner programs, which do not require income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and have no placement fee. If you live in the Twin Cities metro area, sign up for Twin Cities Small Business Development Center services here. If you reside in or have a business in Hennepin County, sign up for Elevate Hennepin services here.

volunteer attorneys for small businesses in Wisconsin

Examples of legal issues for which LegalCORPS pro bono attorneys can provide advice and/or assistance:

  • Entity formation and guidance on corporate structure
  • Intellectual property – trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret, and licensing
  • Contracts and commercial leases
  • Taxation
  • Government regulation
  • Minnesota Paid Leave
  • Employment
  • Franchising
  • Risk management
  • Real estate
  • Director duties and internal organization
  • Commercial debtor/creditor rights and options
  • Other legal issues not involving participation in litigation
  • Entity formation and guidance on corporate structure
  • Intellectual property – trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret and licensing
  • Contracts and commercial leases
  • Taxation
  • Government regulation
  • Employment
  • Franchising
  • Risk management
  • Real estate
  • Director duties and internal organization
  • Commercial debtor/creditor rights and options
  • Other legal issues not involving participation in litigation

Frequently Asked Questions

No, LegalCORPS assists businesses and nonprofits throughout Minnesota. It is a statewide organization.

The answer will differ for every client, depending on factors that include the nature of the case, attorney availability, the presence of conflicts of interest, and the number of other cases awaiting placement.

LegalCORPS cannot guarantee that a case will be placed but will make a good faith effort to find representation for an eligible client. Some cases may take longer to place than our average week of placement timing.

LegalCORPS does not have ready access to interpreters. We will try to arrange for an interpreter’s services when appropriate.

As long as you meet program eligibility, you present appropriate legal​ issues, and we have the capacity to place your matter, you may continue to receive our pro bono attorney services, within reason.

NOTE: Although a person can receive brief advice at a LegalCORPS clinic more than once, LegalCORPS will give priority to first-time users. LegalCORPS will act to prevent excessive return visits to clinics. A person also should be aware that multiple brief advice sessions will not result in the equivalent of limited scope representation assistance.

LegalCORPS provides pro bono services often through the services of volunteers (we have one staff attorney). Our volunteers ask LegalCORPS for assurance that the clients LegalCORPS asks them to assist for free are clients that the attorneys would want to assist for free – and who would not have access to needed legal assistance otherwise. Income level is an important factor in determining that.

As part of the legal community, LegalCORPS respects the professional relationships attorneys enter with their clients. If you have worked with an attorney on the same or similar legal issue you are presenting to LegalCORPS, we will notify the attorney and ensure that there is no barrier to LegalCORPS providing representation. We will obtain your permission before contacting the attorney.

LegalCORPS determines a client’s eligibility each time the client applies for assistance. LegalCORPS matches attorneys with clients for each new application. For each attorney-client match LegalCORPS makes, the lawyer and client make a new client representation agreement. It is a good practice to formalize this representation through your own retainers and letters of representation as well.

LegalCORPS understands that attorney-client relationships often build over time and that an attorney and client might want to continue to work together. They certainly can do so through LegalCORPS, if the client meets eligibility criteria. Once a client is no longer eligible for LegalCORPS services, the attorney and client are free to continue their relationship without the involvement of LegalCORPS.

Yes. These two services are not mutually exclusive, although limited scope representation through a pro bono attorney does require program eligibility.

No. We do not provide referrals but recommend contacting the Minnesota Lawyer Referral Service at (612) 752-6699 or www.mnlawyerreferral.org.f

Your application will be sent to the attorney who will be assisting you. They should contact you within a week or so. If you have not been contacted in that timeframe, please let LegalCORPS staff know. Effective legal representation relies upon the active involvement and participation of the client. Return your attorney’s calls, show up for appointments (or reschedule when you have a conflict), and provide all requested information in a timely manner. Communication and cooperation are key to a successful attorney-client relationship.

No. Our scope of service does not extend to representing clients in legal disputes, court filings, or lawsuits, including any matters that are or could become the subject of litigation.

If you are currently facing a legal dispute or are involved in a matter that could result in litigation, we advise seeking the guidance of a legal professional who specializes in dispute resolution or court representation.