Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic Information for Clients

Information for Students
The E-Clinic provides both challenging client work and a rigorous classroom component to expose students to substantive legal concepts related to entrepreneurship, business law, nonprofit law, economic development, and intellectual property law. Students will learn transactional practice skills that are transferable to all types of transactional practice.
2 credit hours for clinic seminar and 4 credit hours for clinic client work, for a total of 6 credit hours, with the option to take an additional semester of clinic client work for 4 credit hours. Student Attorneys enrolled in the E-Clinic can expect to log between 12-18 hours each week on clinic and client-related work, depending on the week, between seminar, supervision, client work, and Clinic office hours.
Enrollment Prerequisites and Preferences
The E-Clinic is open to 2L and 3L students who have taken or are currently enrolled in Legal Professions and Corporations. 3Ls who have a practice card receive a preference, but enrollment spots are otherwise filled according to the Law Clinic Program’s lottery system.
E-Clinic Student Attorney Learning Goals
The administration of both the 2-hour seminar and the 4-hour client work component have the following general learning goals in mind:
- Applying legal doctrine to current client matters in a forward-thinking, strategic manner
- Conducting client meetings and fact investigation in the transactional setting
- Legal issue spotting and researching in the transactional setting
- Strategizing on client matter development and document flow
- Drafting and document production in the transactional setting
- Project management, time management, and file management
- Advocacy in the transactional context before governmental agencies
- Contract drafting and negotiation in transactional settings
- Counseling organizational clients
- Building professional rapport with organizational clients
- Directly communicating with clients on all aspects of the representation and acting as the client’s attorney
- Participating in internal group advocacy, board governance, and firm meetings
- Presenting and strategizing on legal issues to a group
- Engaging in self-reflection for life-long learning
- Professionalism, ethics, and representing organizational clients
- Working with team members, community members, and clinic faculty and staff
- Understanding the larger role of a transactional attorney in the legal system
Overview of seminar component
Tuesday Seminar is our time to discuss substantive legal and business topics and for you to engage in practical training to successfully develop your transactional legal knowledge and skills. The E-Clinic seminar is designed to:
- Provide you with tools to apply legal theories to practical, real world client situations,
- Provide you with the opportunity to practice and develop your writing, counseling, and transactional lawyering skills,
- Teach you to engage in active and reflective learning to foster life-long, self-directed learning, and
- Provide you with immersive community experiences designed to foster an appreciation for and deeper understanding of local economic development and entrepreneurship culture.
Thursday Seminar (Firm Meetings) is our time to collaborate, refine your practical skills, and discuss issues and concerns with your client work as a group. We will use Firm Meetings for you to present your clients and conduct Client Pitch Presentations, lead Potential Client Discussions during Intake Meeting weeks, conduct practical simulations, and conduct case rounds. We will also use the Firm Meeting times to present to community members on relevant legal topics.
Overview of client work component
Student Attorneys enrolled in the E-Clinic work together in pairs to complete their client work. Between them, each pair shares equal responsibility for a number of for-profit clients, and, individually, each Student Attorney is solely responsible for one non-profit client. To supervise the completion of this work, each pair has a weekly supervision meeting, as well as weekly office hours. Each pair is also responsible for one week of intake meetings. Student Attorneys handle all aspects of the client representation, including client interviewing and fact gathering, conducting research and drafting counseling memorandum, counseling on and drafting contracts, filing applications on behalf of relevant governmental agencies and communicating with such third parties, conducting board governance trainings, and presenting on relevant legal topics to community groups.
Student Attorney Experiences

“The entrepreneurship clinic gave me the opportunity to use the knowledge I learned in the classroom in a practical way. I was able to experience client interactions before graduation and build relationships with local entrepreneurs.” – Chandler Williams

“Participating in a clinic gives you real-world legal experience and learning opportunities that are unlike any other part of law school. The E-Clinic specifically gives you an amazing opportunity to meet and serve entrepreneurs in West Alabama. The hands on experience and interaction with clients I had as a student attorney in the E-Clinic gave me a genuine glimpse into the legal profession.” – Joseph Meigs ’22

“The Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic was great exposure to the startup ecosystem. It was the best hands on experience in law school, and having ownership of the client relationship was an invaluable experience. The responsibility of listening and responding to the needs of the client, handling administrative work, and collaborating with our colleagues was a fantastic primer for being an attorney.” – Gavin Baum-Blake

“I learned that quicker isn’t always better and to stop rushing things that may need a little extra TLC. While aiming for effectiveness, the approach must be efficient. Imposter syndrome is very real and may cause you to believe you have to overcompensate; however, acknowledging failures leaves room for growth. It’s always better to take your time to get things right, rather than rushing through and having to start all over again.” – Tiyona Griggs

“Working as a student-attorney for the Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Clinic (“E-Clinic”) was hands down the most enriching experience of my legal education. With the oversight of an extremely accomplished supervising attorney, I was able to become a skilled attorney by taking ownership of my own clients which allowed me to see how I am adequately able to handle legal issues independently. The professional growth and practical knowledge that I obtained in my time in the E-Clinic played the most significant part in preparing me to be successful in my career.” – Jessica Pope
Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic in the news:
Law Student Rachel Parker interviewed by WVUA News about the Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic:
https://www.wvua23.com/the-edge-law-student-rachel-parker-discusses-entrepreneurial-clinics
Clinic Director, Prof. Casey Faucon, in collaboration with Tuscaloosa Builds, provides information about the Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic:
https://www.tuscaloosa.com/tuscaloosabuilds
The Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic (E-Clinic) provides pro bono, transactional legal services to small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, community development organizations, and authors, artists, and musicians in both urban and rural counties of Alabama. Entrepreneurship with a community development focus is the practice of working with small businesses and community-based organizations seeking to use innovative and creative strategies to improve economic and social conditions through projects that are supported and led by community members. The E-Clinic supports these efforts by counseling and advising organizational clients and small business owners about business law, nonprofit law, and community development issues.
The E-Clinic provides both challenging client work and a rigorous classroom component to expose students to substantive legal concepts related to entrepreneurship, business law, and economic development. Through both client work and the seminar component, the Student Attorneys are exposed to a variety of social systems that impact their clients and client work and are encouraged to think reflectively about the nature of transactional advocacy in the public interest. Students will learn transactional practice skills that are transferable to all types of transactional practice, including client counseling, drafting, research and planning, project management, advocacy, professionalism, and working with constituent groups.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & NONPROFIT CLINIC
LAW (665-007 Casework, 665-008 Class)
Eligibility: Open to 2Ls and 3Ls, with preference for 3Ls who can register with the Alabama State Bar to be certified for a student practice card.
Pre- and co-requisites: Legal Professions is a pre- or co-requisite.
Credit hours/duration:
This clinic is offered for four credits and is a one-semester clinic. Students who are taking this clinic for the first time must also take the corresponding two credit, one semester class.
Weekly classes:
Seminar: Tuesdays (1.5 hours)
Firm Meetings: Thursdays (1.5 hours)
What Types of Matters does the E&N Clinic Handle?
The E-Clinic Student Attorneys will provide the full suite of transactional legal services to new and existing organizations, including but not limited to:
- Pre-venture counseling to founders and co-founders
- Co-founder agreements
- Pre-formation structuring
- Capitalization advice
- Choice of entity counseling and drafting of organizational and operational documents
- Choice of entity counseling (sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, corporation, limited liability company, benefit corporation, and non-profit association or corporation)
- Formation and governance documents (articles of incorporation, partnership agreements, bylaws, and operating agreements)
- Strategizing, negotiating, and drafting agreements
- Project partner agreements or memoranda of understanding
- Customer agreements
- Vendor agreements and supplier contracts
- Commercial leases
- Financial documents
- Employee management counseling
- Employee manuals and contracts
- Independent contractor agreements
- Incentive compensation schemes
- Labor compliance and reporting issues
- Non-compete and non-solicitation counseling
- Intellectual property counseling
- Trademark and logo counseling and registration
- Copyright counseling and registration
- Licensing agreements
- Non-disclosure agreements
- Regulatory Compliance and risk management (excluding tax advice and preparing tax forms)
- Business licenses, if applicable
- Insurance and liability protection advice
- Governmental agency and regulatory compliance, such as labeling, FDA, OSHA, and SEC compliance
- Nonprofit counseling and board governance training
- Applications for tax-exempt status
- Board governance training
- Fiscal sponsorship agreements
- Charitable donations registration
- Counseling to artists and musicians
- Intellectual property protection
- Publicity contracts
- Commission contracts
- Licensing agreements
In addition, the E-Clinic will also potentially provide policy work assistance to the E-Clinic’s nonprofit or community development organization clients, as well as provide community education workshops on substantive law issues pertinent to the E-Clinic’s practice areas.
The E-Clinic does not write business plans, prepare income tax returns, prosecute patents, or provide assistance with initiating or defending litigation or business disputes.
What Types of Work Will I Do in the E-Clinic?
Student Attorneys will learn transactional practice skills that are transferable to all types of transactional practice, including client counseling, drafting, research and planning, project management, advocacy, and understanding group dynamics. Student Attorneys will have the opportunity to carry and manage client matters in collaboration with a clinic partner and as the only Student Attorney assigned to a client file. Under the direct supervision of the Clinic Director or a Staff Attorney, the Student Attorneys are responsible for intake and discussions about whether to accept a client; defining the scope of the transactional matters for legal representation and executing the engagement letter; interviewing clients and gathering facts about client goals; researching, developing, and executing client projects using a client-centered approach; meeting with clients and explaining the work product in a manner befitting each particular client; potentially negotiating and reviewing contracts; and, if applicable, making presentations to community members on issues related to entrepreneurship and nonprofit governance. The Student Attorneys will also have the opportunity, depending on the growth stage of their clinic clients, to participate along with and support their clients in community- and consumer-building efforts.
What are the E-Clinic Credits, Workload, and Other Requirements?
The E-Clinic is a one-semester, six credit course, open to 2Ls and 3Ls. Preference during registration, however, is given to 3Ls who are eligible to register with the Alabama State Bar to receive a student practice card, although Student Attorneys in the E-Clinic will not represent clients before a tribunal or in litigation.
In addition to the weekly seminar and firm meetings, the Student Attorneys have mandatory, weekly supervision with the Clinic Director and a Staff Attorney, which typically lasts between one to one and half hours. The Student Attorneys are also required to maintain weekly office hours in the clinic offices. Between seminar, firm meetings, supervision, office hours, and executing the client work, Student Attorneys can expect to devote approximately 15 to 18 hours per week on clinic work.
We will use the seminar portion to review substantive legal topics, engage in simulations and practice-oriented skills, engage in Student Attorney presentations, and discuss and develop an understanding of the transactional lawyer’s role and ethical obligations to an organizational client. During firm meetings, Student Attorneys present the week’s new requests for legal services, evaluate the potential client matters and the client goals, share experiences and information, and work together to problem solve on-going client matters. During weekly supervision, Student Attorneys use that time to progress their group and individual client matters.
About Professor Casey E. Faucon
Professor Faucon joined the University of Alabama School of Law in 2018 as the Director of the Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Alabama School of Law, Professor Faucon was the 2015-2018 Whiting Clinical Fellow at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where she co-taught and co-supervised in the Community Economic Development Clinic and was a participant in the Roger Salters Writing Institute, Denver’s Interdisciplinary Research Incubator for the Study of (In)Equality. Professor Faucon was the 2013-2015 William H. Hastie Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she earned her LLM degree and taught Marital Property. Before entering academia, Professor Faucon practiced at Kean Miller LLP in the construction litigation and contracts group. Professor Faucon earned her J.D./D.C.L., magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University School of Law, where she served as the Executive Senior Editor of the Louisiana Law Review and a judicial extern to Judge Dennis of the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has a B.A. from Rice University.