Prospective Clients
The Business Law Clinic provides free transactional legal services to eligible small businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations. Clinic students work directly with clients under the close supervision of licensed attorneys. The Clinic helps clients understand legal issues, make informed decisions, and build practical legal tools for starting, operating, and growing their organizations.
What we do
The Clinic handles transactional and business law matters. Depending on client need, student availability, timing, and supervisory approval, the Clinic may assist with:
business and nonprofit formation;
governance documents, bylaws, operating agreements, resolutions, and board policies;
contract review, drafting, and negotiation support;
regulatory compliance and practical risk assessment;
employment-related policies and contractor issues;
intellectual property issue-spotting, brand protection planning, and referrals where specialized IP assistance is needed;
nonprofit compliance, governance, and operational planning, training, and workshops;
legal counseling for entrepreneurs, founders, and organizational leaders;
general counsel-style transactional support for selected clients whose needs fit the Clinic’s educational and service model.
Who We Serve
The Clinic generally serves clients in Rhode Island and nearby communities who need transactional legal help and cannot reasonably afford private legal services. The Clinic may consider other matters when they fit the Clinic’s mission, student learning goals, and supervisory capacity.
What We Do Not Do
The Clinic does not handle litigation, criminal defense, immigration matters, family law matters, tax return preparation, patent prosecution, or matters requiring emergency legal action. The Clinic also cannot guarantee that it will be able to respond before a deadline or accept every matter submitted for review.
How Clients Work With Us
Clients may request help in one of two ways.
- One-time transactional legal need. This may include a counseling session, review of a specific legal question, or a discrete transactional project.
- General counsel transactional services. This is broader support for selected clients with recurring transactional legal needs during the semester, such as contracts, governance, compliance, policies, and related business law questions.
The Clinic decides whether it can accept a matter after reviewing the intake information, checking for conflicts, assessing timing, and determining whether the matter fits the Clinic’s educational goals and supervisory capacity. Submitting an intake form does not create an attorney-client relationship. A client relationship begins only when the Clinic and the client sign a written engagement agreement.
Student Attorney Role
Your primary point of contact will usually be a Rule 9 student attorney working under the supervision of Professor Taino J. Palermo, a licensed attorney and the Clinic Director. Student attorneys perform substantial legal work, including client interviews, research, drafting, counseling preparation, and client communications. No legal advice or final work product is provided to a client unless it has first been reviewed and approved by Professor Palermo.
The Clinic does not charge attorneys’ fees. Clients remain responsible for filing fees, government fees, registration fees, and other third-party costs associated with their matters.
Call to Action
To request legal assistance, please complete the Business Law Clinic intake form. The Clinic will review your submission and contact you if the matter may be appropriate for Clinic representation. Below is the access to the Intake Form.