Volunteers of Legal Service helps emerging and established small business owners with legal education, transactions, and defense.
Voluntarios De Servicios Legal (VOLS), apoya a los propietarios de pequeñas empresas existentes y los que aspiran con educación legal, representación transaccional y defensa.
Cecilia Cortés Vila, on behalf of the VOLS Microenterprise Project, highlights our services in an interview with UNIVISION:
We want to highlight that there are opportunities for those who want to start a business, not only those with established businesses. We have seen that this crisis has also been a great opportunity for many people trying to start a business. For example, 70% of our clients are women, New York female entrepreneurs! And we can assist with incorporating businesses, reviewing legal documents, and intellectual property work.
Cecilia Cortés Vila, Volunteers of Legal Service
Read the Full Transcript in English:
Damaris Diaz: Thank you for watching Friends of Univision. “VOLS”, Volunteers of Legal Services, supports existing and aspiring small businesses owners with legal education as well as transactional and defense representation. With that being said, we now turn to Cecelia Cortes. Cecilia, please tell us a bit about VOLS and welcome.
Cecilia Cortés Vila: Thank you, Damaris. It is a pleasure to be here with you and Univision. Our organization, Volunteers of Legal Services (“VOLS”) provides free legal advice to New Yorkers. We have existed for more than 35 years. We work with populations such as the elderly, the youth, immigrants, workers experiencing unemployment, and, as you mentioned, entrepreneurs and small businesses in New York City.
Damaris Diaz: There are many who do not know about the process of getting legal assistance for their business, especially small businesses. Tell us a little bit about the Microenterprise Project and how does one qualify.
Cecilia Cortés Vila: The Microenterprise Project works specifically with low- and moderate income entrepreneurs. To determine whether an applicant is eligible for our services, we would initially ask them how many people live in their household and what is the combine income of the household. But we encourage people to call us and communicate with us so we can determine whether they qualify for our services.
Damaris Diaz: Tell us a little bit more about the Pro Bono Attorney program, where one can receive full legal representation.
Cecilia Cortés Vila: VOLS works together with its own staff attorneys as well as a network of about 1,000 volunteer attorneys who work for the major New York law firms. The mechanism by which we collaborate is that our expert staff attorneys train and mentor the pro bono attorneys so that they can take full representation -and sometimes advice only- for the people who come to us
Damaris Diaz: Great. Please give us your website for those with questions and who would like to reach out.
Cecilia Cortés Vila: Our website is volsprobono.org/smallbusinesses. We can also be reached via telephone at 347-521-5729. This is a toll-free line where people can leave messages in English, Spanish, or any other language. We want to be as inclusive as possible and have translation services available to assist other immigrant communities, as well. Any of these two options are appropriate to contact us.
Damaris Diaz: Excellent information and excellent work you provide for the community. And thank you for being with us today!
Cecilia Cortés Vila: Thank you for having me! Thank you to you and your team for the opportunity to share this important information for entrepreneurs. One last thing – we want to highlight that there are opportunities for those who want to start a business, not only those with established businesses. We have seen that this crisis has also been a great opportunity for many people trying to start a business. For example, 70% of our clients are women, New York female entrepreneurs! And we can assist with incorporating businesses, reviewing legal documents, and intellectual property work.
Damaris Diaz: Let’s go women!