The Northern Illinois University College of Law is excited to announce that it will launch a new Business Law Innovation Clinic (BLIC) starting in August 2022. Located on the NIU DeKalb campus at the College of Law in Swen Parson Hall, the BLIC will be directed by Assistant Clinical Professor Lawrence A. Stein, a 1993 graduate of the NIU College of Law and attorney with decades of a successful private law practice.
The BLIC will offer high-quality, transactional legal assistance to primarily underrepresented entrepreneurs, small business owners and not-for-profit business organizations. The BLIC will focus on providing legal representation and assistance in the areas of business formation, Business Enterprise Program certification, obtaining 501(c)(3) status, drafting bylaws, reviewing contracts to sell and purchase, advising on corporate recordkeeping, and general intellectual property issues such as trademark registration. For all other matters that may be beyond the expertise of the clinic, the BLIC will enlist the assistance of its advisory board members or refer those matters to expert legal counsel.
In addition to directing the operations of the clinic, Professor Stein will be supervising eight advanced law students who enroll in the business law clinic each semester. Services will be free for clients that fall below requisite income levels, and clients will be responsible for paying any filing fees.
The BLIC is looking to serve clients from the DeKalb and surrounding communities as well as underrepresented communities in the greater Chicagoland area and throughout the state who might not be able to access these types of legal services on their own. Referrals to the Business Law Innovation Clinic are encouraged and welcomed. Please contact Professor Stein at l-stein@niu.edu with questions or to find out how the BLIC can help to add value to your business mission and operations.
Dean Cassandra L. Hill will host a Business Law Clinic kick-off reception to be held on Wednesday, September 28 from 5:30-7:30 pm at the NIU-Naperville campus (1120 E. Diehl Road, Naperville, IL 60563). All are invited to attend in order to meet the new clinic director, network with students and fellow practioners, and learn more about our services. Food and drinks provided. RSVP to lawevents@niu.edu.
