What it is

The Small Business Legal Assistance Program is run by the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, which has operated it since 1999. The program connects small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs who have limited financial resources, or who operate in economically disadvantaged areas, with free legal information and advice from volunteer attorneys and Pro Bono Center staff. It is part of the Center's broader nonprofit and small business legal assistance work in the District.

What it offers founders

  • Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic: one-on-one sessions with volunteer attorneys who review documents and answer questions about starting a business, taxation, commercial leases, employment law and intellectual property.
  • Small Business Office Hours: weekly 20 to 30 minute Zoom consultations with a staff attorney who focuses on small business law, best suited to short questions.
  • Small Business Trainings: webinars and sessions held with small business counseling centers, government agencies and law firms on topics such as employment law, government contracts and commercial leases.
  • Small Business Legal Resources: free guides, alerts on changes in the law and a webinar archive published on the LawHelp DC website.

Who it is for

The clinic is aimed at District small business owners and would-be entrepreneurs with limited resources or who operate in economically disadvantaged areas. It is a good fit for early-stage founders who need a lawyer to look over a lease, explain entity options, or flag employment and IP issues before they become expensive problems. The program gives brief advice: volunteers typically cannot represent a business in court or provide ongoing legal help, so founders with complex or continuing needs should plan for that.

How to engage

Founders can sign up for the Small Business Brief Advice Legal Clinic or book a slot in Small Business Office Hours. Upcoming trainings are listed on the LawHelp small business events calendar, and past sessions and guides are collected on the LawHelp small business resources page. The Pro Bono Center is located at 901 4th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 and can be reached at 202-737-4700.

Why it matters in the DMV ecosystem

Legal costs are one of the first barriers new founders hit, and many DC entrepreneurship programs focus on planning, capital or contracting rather than legal review. This program fills that gap with free, attorney-delivered advice for businesses that cannot yet afford counsel, and its trainings are often co-hosted with the small business counseling centers and agencies that founders in the District already use.