Thank you for applying for the services of the Business Innovations Legal Clinic (the Clinic). The Clinic provides transactional legal services free of charge to small businesses, nonprofits and entrepreneurs.
The Clinic is staffed by law students and a professor who is an experienced, licensed attorney. The students serve as the point person for your matter in all aspects, and the professor oversees every piece of work the students complete for your case.
Because resources in the Clinic are limited, we select our clients based on a number of factors listed below. It is not necessary for you to meet all of the factors. Each matter will be evaluated based on the totality of circumstances in light of the items listed below.
Initial Review
The Clinic will review your application to determine whether your case is something that:
1) the Clinic has the resources to handle
2) the Clinic has the expertise to address
3) is consistent with the Clinic’s teaching goals and legal education standards
Your commitment
The Clinic wants to help you and your business succeed. We will do our best to help you understand the steps you must take to achieve your goas. However, we also want to make sure you are ready to take those steps and that it makes financial sense for you to start your business now.
The Clinic does not charge fees, but many transactions required to start a business may have fees charged by a federal, state, or other government agency. For instance, new organizations must pay filing fees that can be in the hundreds of dollars.
Are you ready to take the necessary legal steps required? For instance, do you:
1) have a sense of how you will operate your business?
2) know where you will receive the money to operate?
If you are starting a new business, do you:
1) have a written business plan or business canvas that summarizes your mission, goals, costs, and revenue?
2) have a budget for one or more years of operation?
If the answer to either of these is no, would you:
1) benefit by seeking the advice and/or assistance of another person or organization that can help you improve your vision of your business’s mission, management, and expected results?
2) benefit from free or low-cost services from business consultants before starting your business and paying fees and other costs?
The Clinic can make referrals to the Arkansas Small Business Tech Development Center, the Small Business Association, or other free/low-cost capacity-building services.
Availability of other legal services providers
Arkansas has the smallest number of attorneys per capita in the nation, and many new lawyers are working to build their own legal practices and get new clients. Because of this, we try not to take income opportunities from the lawyers in the state. We also encourage clients to pursue Legal Aid, where available and appropriate.
However, we also understand your issue may be something a local attorney or Legal Aid does not have adequate resources to address.
Considering this, are you requesting the Clinic to assist you with something that a local attorney or Legal Aid cannot assist you in accomplishing?
Your financial ability
1) Do you have the financial ability to hire a private attorney to represent you in forming and/or operating your business?
2) Or would hiring a private attorney be so costly that it would stop your business’s development?
Your business's mission
1) Does your business provide economic opportunities for the state or the region?
2) Are those opportunities permanent?
3) Does it create jobs?
4) Does it provide a much-needed service?
5) Does it support a local economy?
Your business’s impact
1) Will your business provide a service or product that is already significant or that has the potential to be a significant, sustainable, economic driver in the region?
2) Does it provide a solution to a serious problem that holds back growth in the region?
Your business’s location
1) Is your business based in the Southeast US?
2) Or do you intend to do business and create jobs in the Southeast US?
