University of Cincinnati College of Law to Host Free Legal Clinic for Small Businesses

Are you a student or UC employee with a small business? The UC College of Law Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic (ECDC) and the Duke Energy Law Department are partnering to sponsor “Free Legal Advice to Better Your Business,” a pro bono event for small business owners seeking legal advice. The event will be held on Friday, September 14, 2012 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at the College of Law, located at the corner of Clifton Ave. and Calhoun St.  Free parking is available at the Deaconess Hospital Garage on Straight Street. Pre-registration is available by contacting Lori Strait (lori.strait@uc.edu or 513.556.0117) by Wednesday, Sept. 12. Walk-in registration is available until 4:15 p.m. on Sept. 14.

UC Professor Lew Goldfarb, director of the ECDC, believes "this is a great opportunity for small business owners to obtain legal services critical to their future success. The success of our small business community is critical to the economic vitality of the Cincinnati area. We are privileged to be collaborating with Duke Energy on this endeavor, which is a good example of how a partnership between the private sector and academia can work for the betterment of the communities in which we live and work."

Area business owners can schedule a 30-minute consultation with an attorney to discuss a variety of practice areas. These include: contracts, business start-up, litigation, real estate, tax, labor & employment, environmental issues, intellectual property and non-profits. UC Law students will also be assisting at the various tables. 

The event was held for the first time last year. Duke attorneys “were impressed with the creativity and ambition of the entrepreneurs in our community, and honored to provide legal support to them” commented Melissa Feldmeier, associate general counsel, Duke Energy. “Small business owners are our neighbors and customers, and we want to help them succeed.  It also was refreshing to interact with law students as they begin their own careers, and hopefully reinforced the positive role that attorneys can play in the community.”

Tim Sullivan, president/CEO of Sincere Incorporated, was one of the local business owners who received assistance at last year’s event. “Being a small business owner with limited financial resources, every penny counts especially, when it comes to my accounting and legal needs” says Sullivan. “I recommend taking advantage of this free resource.

For more information on this event and/or to download the registration form, visit the event web page.  Or, call 513-556-0117.