The Nonprofit Clinic was originally launched as a pro bono project but was established in 2009 as the twentieth clinic for the Law School. The clinic, which lasts for one year, admits six students.
Allen Hench is the clinic's co-instructor and founder of the pro bono project. He was quoted as saying in a recent interview: “We often find that a client's method of governance may be inconsistent with law, or [the organizations] own bylaws or governing documents. For example, we have discovered that a client, to the client's surprise, has strayed from what is required. It is not all that unusual; these nonprofits get very committed to their mission and delivering service.” Regarding the experience for the students, he explained the clinic offers students an opportunity to focus on transactional law, versus litigation and appeals work, which are the focus of many other clinics.
Students participating in the clinic advise, as well as work directly with nonprofit boards. They give legal checkups, so to speak, as well as advise on matters including initial formation, establishing tax-exempt status, charitable solicitation, state and local taxation, contracts and ongoing legal compliance.
Tara Boyd, one of the clinic's two instructors and a partner at the Charlottesville office of LeClairRyan was quoted as saying in a recent interview: “If you're a big foundation and you have a lot of resources, then all of this isn't that big of a deal. But if you're a little nonprofit here in Charlottesville, you may need some extra help. You may not even know you need some extra help.”
It's a win-win: Local nonprofits get free legal assistance, and students get hands on legal training.
Boyd also said: “A lot of U.Va. students go on to work in big firms and they may not get a lot of hands-on client experience for quite a few years. The clinic gives them skills so that on their first day they can do a whole lot more than the average top-10 law school grad.”
Serving as a testament to the clinic's success and viability is Ruth Stone's, president of Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates Inc. (CASA), endorsement: “I have retained attorneys for Piedmont CASA at different times over the years and the rates are $250 to $450 an hour. The dollar benefit to CASA is just tremendous when we can have the Nonprofit Law Clinic help us with these legal issues.”
Piedmont CASA focuses on training volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in local courts.
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law has an estimated 1,100 students in its juris doctorate program. It is regarded as being among the top ten prestigious and selective law schools in the United States.
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