On March 14, 2022, VOLS’ Staff Attorney, Julia Currie, testified at the Annual Preliminary Budget Hearing of the NYC Council Small Business Committee. Our testimony highlighted the work of the Microenterprise Project, which provides legal services to small businesses in NYC. Julia Currie’s testimony is below:
New York City Council Committee on Small Business
Subject: New York City Council Budget and Oversight Hearing
My name is Julia Currie, and I am a staff attorney with the Volunteers of Legal Service (“VOLS”) Microenterprise Project. VOLS was established in 1984 and our purpose is to leverage private attorneys to provide free legal services to low-income New Yorkers to help fill the justice gap. We serve and assist the most vulnerable members of the New York City community with some of the most pressing legal issues in multiple facets of their lives.
For over 20 years the VOLS Microenterprise Project has helped existing and aspiring small business owners and microentrepreneurs access high-quality free legal services from our dedicated staff and our network of pro bono attorneys. For many New Yorkers, owning a small business is an effective path out of poverty and into financial stability and independence. VOLS provides assistance with drafting contracts, reviewing governing documents, protecting intellectual property, and advising on commercial leases, among other issue areas. We partner with community and economic development organizations to connect with clients who would benefit from our legal assistance, focusing on minority, women, immigrant, and veteran-owned businesses. We conduct legal educational programs for small business owners throughout the City and advocate for the small business community through our participation in community outreach and small business coalitions.
VOLS is one of a small handful of legal services organizations offering direct legal assistance to small business owners and microentrepreneurs in New York City, who otherwise would not be able to afford legal representation. We would like to thank the New York City Council for the support provided to the VOLS Microenterprise Project through the Neighborhood Development Grant Initiative.
I joined VOLS in February 2020, about three weeks before our City shut down due to the COVID pandemic. In those initial weeks of uncertainty, the small business community was in crisis. The VOLS Microenterprise Project was a resource for our clients, leading know your rights trainings and producing guides for small business owners on the impact of the virus and the mandatory restrictions on and/or closures of their businesses. Since March 2020, our team has served hundreds of small businesses in great need in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While working to address legal emergencies within this ongoing crisis, our team has also managed to continue to serve businesses attempting to carry on the day-to-day practice of running a business. This includes assisting in areas such as forming, re-structuring, and dissolving entities; negotiating and litigating contract disputes; drafting employment, digital, and service contracts; reviewing insurance policies; and registering intellectual property rights, among dozens of other issue areas. In addition to the legal matters directly handled by our staff, we have been able to tap into our broad network of law firms to connect small businesses to volunteer attorneys through our pro bono program, in order to meet the intense demand for services.
As we emerge from the Pandemic and the City continues to reopen, small businesses, both established and new will need legal services. Established businesses may need assistance reviewing employee or service agreements or renegotiating the terms of their lease. A new business that opens in the City will require assistance to form an entity, negotiate a new lease, or draft agreements. VOLS is a unique resource in that we are able to provide these kinds of full-scale business services to our small business clients free of charge.
Despite the great need there is a general lack of affordable legal resources for small businesses in New York City. According to a 2019 report from JP Morgan Chase Institute, at least 45% of small businesses in New York City studied held just 15 days of cash reserves in case of an emergency1. The average hourly rate of an attorney practicing business law in New York City is between $300-400.00 per hour2. Moreover, it is standard practice for private attorneys to require an upfront retainer covering 5-10 hours of work. These legal fees are a non-starter for New York City small businesses in urgent need of legal services.
Our attorneys spend at least 15 to 25 hours on each case for our clients. We are able do this because our clients do not have to worry about mounting legal fees. They know I will spend the time necessary to get them the best result possible for them. Financial support from our funders, including the New York City Council helps makes this possible.
We cannot do this work for New York City small businesses without your support and partnership. Thank you for your steadfast championing of the New York City small business community.
Julia Currie, Esq.
Staff Attorney
To watch the video of the hearing and VOLS’ testimony, click here. Julia’s Testimony Begins at the 1:19:37 mark.