The Nonprofit Legal Clinic
The Indiana University School of Law—Bloomington announces the
opening of the Nonprofit Legal Clinic ("NPLC"), a new student legal clinic
designed to deliver free legal services to the Indiana nonprofit community
and allow students the opportunity to work directly with organizational
clients and their members while in law school. Clinical students are
overseen by NPLC Director and Visiting Associate Clinical Professor of
Law, Cindy M. Lott.
Joining other clinical opportunities offered to law students at Indiana University School of Law—Bloomington, the NPLC is poised to enroll its first students in January 2008. Students will work directly with clients and gain hands-on experience with organizational clients on a variety of substantive matters.
Clinic Services
Substantive legal issues may include, but are not limited to:
- nonprofit corporation formation and dissolution;
- officer and board member duties and constraints in governance;
- contractual agreements;
- relevant regulatory framework;
- Indiana and federal tax exemptions for nonprofit organizations;
- ethical issues related to representation of nonprofit organizations;
- employment matters in the context of nonprofit organizations; and
- the extent of allowable political activity by nonprofit organizations.
Request for Legal Assistance
The NPLC, a state-wide clinic, is now accepting applications for discrete legal projects. Applicants may be existing Indiana nonprofit entities or individuals wishing to form a nonprofit within Indiana; projects are to be transactional or advisory in nature, i.e., the NPLC will not handle litigation matters. Applicants should complete and return to the NPLC a "Request for Legal Assistance" form. All requests for legal assistance will be reviewed, potential clients will be further interviewed in a standardized intake process, and selected projects will be undertaken by students beginning in January 2008.
Note: The "Request for Legal Assistance" form is only a request for legal assistance; it does not create an attorney-client relationship nor does it require the NPLC to undertake the matter at issue. Upon submission of this completed form to the NPLC, NPLC staff will be in contact with further questions or a determination of whether the NPLC will accept your request for assistance. All information on this form shall be kept confidential by the NPLC director and staff.