Supervised by Attorney Sandra Polin

  The Small Business Clinic, established in the spring of 2001, is a partnership between the School and the Small Business Technology and Development Center (SBTDC), a business development organization located in Chapel Hill, NC. The goal of the Small Business Clinic is to sensitize law students to the need to approach the representation of small businesses with a broad focus.

  The Small Business Clinic is a one-semester program that allows students to work with small businesses located in the Triangle area. In conjunction with a classroom component that focuses on small business law and regulations, students are paired with at least two clients during the semester. Students generally work on two or three issues per client. The businesses that the SBTDC refers to the Clinic usually require assistance on a wide array of legal issues that may include regulatory requirements, employment law issues, tax matters, and other state and federal mandates. The students, under the supervision of an attorney and the SBTDC, provide guidance on how the business may respond to an issue. Students also strive to help the client plan for future contingencies.

  While participating in the program, students develop interviewing, communication, analytical, legal research and writing skills. Students also experience how legal doctrines learned in the classroom operate in the business world and reflect upon and discuss issues relating to attorneys and the practice of law. The Clinic has provided assistance to a number of diverse businesses within the Triangle area.