Small Business Support Help with choosing a business structure, reviewing contracts and leases, advising on licensing requirements, ensuring legal compliance when applying for or closing on a loan, protecting intellectual property, and navigating issues related to doing business online. Our clients include street vendors, caterers, childcare providers, neighborhood salons, artists, and local shop owners, and many others. These small businesses are diverse, but they share a common role: fueling local economies, creating opportunity, and sustaining community life.
Nonprofit Assistance Support with incorporation, applying for tax-exemption, board governance and training, and ongoing compliance with state and federal requirements. We work with projects that contribute to the revitalization and stability of their communities. Our nonprofit clients include arts organizations, after-school programs, community development groups, and organizations dedicated to racial justice and cultural preservation.
Affordable Housing We provide legal support to limited equity housing cooperatives (HDFCs). Through this work, CDP helps ensure that residents can maintain long-term affordability, build collective ownership, and preserve housing stability in their neighborhoods. Our clients include boards of directors navigating governance, compliance, and financial challenges, and individual shareholders seeking guidance on their rights and responsibilities. Each request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether we can provide representation.
Free Legal Clinics & Workshops We host free clinics and trainings for small business owners, often in partnership with community organizations. Clinics provide one-time, limited-scope advice with pro bono attorneys. Trainings are held virtually or in person, include a Q&A, and can lead to eligibility review for full representation. Nonprofits, grassroots groups, and housing cooperatives can request know-your-rights trainings and board governance workshops. To learn about upcoming trainings or request a workshop for your group, contact us at CommunityDevProject@legal-aid.org.
Client Spotlight: Building Community Through Coffee With CDP’s support, a neighborhood entrepreneur turned his dream of running a coffee shop into reality, strengthening the local economy. Learn More ›
Client Spotlight: From Stylist to Salon Owner With CDP’s guidance, a local stylist launched her own beauty salon, creating jobs and a welcoming space in Brooklyn. Learn More ›
Supporting Immigrant Entrepreneurs Many immigrant entrepreneurs bring skills and determination but face systemic barriers, language access challenges, and predatory practices. CDP helps level the playing field by providing legal advice, education, and representation. For instance, we assisted a group of Spanish-speaking immigrant workers who had lost their jobs after years of working together at the same business. With CDP’s help, they were able to form a company that now successfully operates multiple locations, sustaining both their families and their community.
Assisting Justice-Affected Entrepreneurs We support entrepreneurs returning from incarceration, including those disproportionately harmed by the Rockefeller Drug Laws, Stop-and-Frisk, and cannabis criminalization. Like our other clients, justice-affected entrepreneurs receive comprehensive transactional legal services including help with business or nonprofit formation, contracts, governance, and other matters essential to starting and sustaining their projects.
Preserving Community Nonprofits & Cultural Institutions Nonprofits serve as anchors in their communities, preserving history and culture while advancing equity and mutual aid. CDP is committed to supporting these organizations. With help of our pro bono partners, we assisted a longstanding benevolent Black women’s organization that was at risk of losing its historic home. We assisted with resolving a contract dispute, securing tax exemptions, and obtaining grant support for historic preservation and organizational development ensuring the group’s ability to continue serving the community for generations.