The VOLS Microenterprise Project provides pro bono legal assistance to low-income microentrepreneurs. Many such people have a skill in a particular area --- food preparation, clothing design, operating a beauty salon, child care, writing --- and have the entrepreneurial spirit to start their own business, but have little practical knowledge about setting up a business. Many are looking to gradually expand a home based business. The availability of valuable legal advice is very helpful to persons of low-income and limited business experience.

       VOLS recruits law firms for this project; matches the law firms with non profit economic development agencies in New York City working with microentrepreneurs; and provides ongoing project coordination. The agencies identify low-income microentrepreneurs needing legal assistance and volunteer lawyers provide one on one representation on business related issues and make presentations to groups of microentrepreneurs on basic legal issues, such as the appropriate structure for a business, or the leasing of commercial space.

       The microentrepreneurs served by the project reflect the diversity of the city's population.  They are native-born and immigrants to the United States.  English, Spanish and Chinese-speaking.  Some are supplementing their salary through microenterprise activity, while others will be totally dependent on income from such activity.  Some have been recently laid off from their jobs.  Being financially vulnerable, they are in no position to fail.  Working with lawyers can greatly increase the chances for success.

       In 2009, 222 microentrepreneurs were served by 209 lawyers from 18 law firms and one corporation.  Below appears a list of the law firms and economic development organizations participating in the VOLS Microenterprise Project:

Law Firms/Corporate Law Department	Economic Development Agencies
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft	Pace University Small Business Development Center
Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton	Acción New York (citywide)
Debevoise & Plimpton	Business Outreach Center Network (Chinatown, Hunts Point, Jackson Heights, Harlem, South Brooklyn and Staten Island)
DLA Piper US   Dorsey & Whitney	NYC Business Solutions- Queens   Project Enterprise (Harlem and East New York)
Hughes Hubbard & Reed	Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation
Katten Muchin Rosenman	NYC Business Solutions (Intellectual Property issues)
Kaye Scholer	Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel	Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union
JP Morgan Chase Law Department	Business Outreach Center Network
Nixon Peabody	NYC Business Solutions - Brooklyn
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe	Field Center for Entrepreneurs at Baruch College
Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler	CAMBA Economic Development Corporation (Central Brooklyn)
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett	NYC Business Solutions - Upper Manhattan
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan	Pratt Area Community Council (Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant)
Sullivan & Cromwell	Renaissance Economic Development Corporation (Lower East Side and Flushing)
Weil, Gotshal & Manges	St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corportation (Williamsburg-Greenpoint)
White & Case	South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation
WilmerHale	NYC Business Solutions - Brooklyn

       Examples of legal representation provided: Business incorporations; lease negotiations; preparation of contracts and other agreements; intellectual property issues; and tax issues.

       The business counselor at a project site wrote to its matched firm:

I was grateful for the opportunity to see your lawyers in action.  I see why our clients are usually awed by the experience.  I could tell that [this client], like our other clients, was touched that a leading institution like yours would devote so much time and resources to him….I look forward to bringing more budding entrepreneurs to you in the future.