Reopening: What Nonprofits ﻿Should Consider (Virtual)
2020-12-09 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom Video Conferencing
Do you have questions about reopening your nonprofit? Do you want to learn more about the Paid Family Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) and other important considerations? Join us on December 9 for a free virtual workshop, hosted by experienced nonprofit attorneys.
Registration: Click here. You will receive a Zoom link upon sign up.

Presenters: Mark Macchi and Charlotte Petilla, of Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP.

CORI: What Nonprofits Need to Know to Help Their Clients (Virtual)
2020-12-10 10:00 - 11:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
*Note: This training is not designed to help advise nonprofits on their hiring practices. It is solely focused on assisting clients with criminal records.*
Registration: Click here. You will receive a Zoom link upon sign up.

This criminal records training is intended for nonprofits whose staff are involved with counseling or offering services in the community to individuals who may have criminal records. It will address the following:

What exactly is a criminal record in Massachusetts? Who has the data? Who gets access to the data?
How can a nonprofit help a client reduce the barriers posed by criminal records?
What can be done if a client of a nonprofit wishes to seal a CORI? What crimes can be sealed? What resources are available?
What rights do individuals with a sealed CORI have when they are applying for a job? housing?
What is the process for the new expungement laws for CORIs?
What are the concerns for an individual with a CORI who has an immigration issue?

Presenter: Crispin Birnbaum, Former General Counsel, Massachusetts Probation Service

Nonprofit Dissolution Workshop (Virtual)
2020-12-10 14:00 - 15:15 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here. You will receive a Zoom link upon sign up.
At this group session, we’ll assist your organization in understanding the processes of dissolving a nonprofit in Massachusetts by addressing questions regarding:

Types of dissolution
Attorney General, Secretary of State, and IRS requirements
Distribution of assets
Debt considerations
Handling existing grants

Presenter: Jonathan Green, Deputy Chief, Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division, Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General

CORI Sealing Clinic (Virtual)
2020-12-17 16:00 - 18:00, 2021-01-14 16:00 - 18:00, 2021-01-28 16:00 - 18:00, 2021-02-11 16:00 - 18:00, 2021-02-25 16:00 - 18:00, 2021-03-11 16:00 - 18:00, 2021-03-25 16:00 - 18:00, 2021-04-08 16:00 - 18:00 and 1 more date | Zoom Video Conferencing
Do you need your CORI (criminal record) sealed or expunged? You may be eligible for free assistance from a volunteer attorney, conducted via Zoom video conferencing. Please note, this service is intended for people with Massachusetts-based criminal records.
Sign up here and someone will follow up with you.
We are accepting registrations on a rolling basis, so once you sign up we will work with you to schedule a final meeting date and time.
This program is offered in partnership with Codman Square NDC, Urban Edge, and the City of Boston.

Pro Bono Consultation for Nonprofits: Written Information Security Program (WISP)
2021-01-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Apply: Registration is currently full, but you may sign up for the waitlist.
*Please note: This consultation is intended only for organizations with 501c3 status.*
Massachusetts law requires any corporate entity operating in MA which handles personal information (PI) to develop and enforce a Written Information Security Program (WISP). Each WISP should be tailored to the manner and scope of operation of each corporate entity.
Join us for a two-part WISP training and consultation program. The 60 minute training will focus on how to implement and maintain WISP at the operational level. The subsequent 75 minute consultation session will be staffed by lawyers from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. They will review your current WISP and make recommendations as necessary or discuss with you how to develop a new WISP for your nonprofit if you don’t have one.
Presenters: Liza Hays, Business and Securities Litigator at Morgan Lewis; Danny Summerlin, Senior Manager of Technology at Jumpstart.
Pro Bono Attorneys for Individual Consultation on WISP: Attorneys from Morgan Lewis.
This event is Co-sponsored by Morgan Lewis, Bank of America and PBI, as part of the Financial Institution Pro Bono Day Day of Service.

Nonprofit vs. For-Profit: The Basics of Formation (Virtual)
2021-01-19 12:00 - 14:00 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here. Registrants will receive a Zoom link upon sign up.
Are you looking to start a business and help the community? Do you have a mission to do good but worry about the burdens of running a nonprofit? Not sure of the differences between an LLC and a nonprofit?
Lawyers Clearinghouse and Lawyers for Civil Rights are proud to partner on a 2-hour seminar designed for people who are in the process of creating a business or have an idea for a business and want to give back to the community in some capacity. This program will give a high-level view of what types of businesses you can form, what structure is best for you, and what an organization can do to bring about positive change. This seminar will walk through:

The various for-profit structures such as LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, and Benefit Corporations
Differences between for-profit and nonprofit?
Legal requirements for both structures

Ultimately, this seminar will highlight the benefits and challenges of each path and help you make an informed decision about your business.
Presenters: Russell Paul, Nonprofit Assistance Manager at Lawyers Clearinghouse; Priya Lane, LCR|BizGrow Director at Lawyers for Civil Rights.

CORI: What Nonprofits Need to Know to Help Their Clients (Virtual)
2021-01-21 10:00 - 11:30, 2021-04-29 10:00 - 23:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
*Note: This training is not designed to help advise nonprofits on their hiring practices. It is solely focused on assisting clients with criminal records.*
Registration: Click here. You will receive a Zoom link upon sign up.

This criminal records training is intended for nonprofits whose staff are involved with counseling or offering services in the community to individuals who may have criminal records. It will address the following:

What exactly is a criminal record in Massachusetts? Who has the data? Who gets access to the data?
How can a nonprofit help a client reduce the barriers posed by criminal records?
What can be done if a client of a nonprofit wishes to seal a CORI? What crimes can be sealed? What resources are available?
What rights do individuals with a sealed CORI have when they are applying for a job? Housing?
What is the process for the new expungement laws for CORIs?
What are the concerns for an individual with a CORI who has an immigration issue?

Presenter: Crispin Birnbaum, Access to Justice Fellow

Clinic in a Box®: Navigating COVID-19 as an Employer (Virtual)
2021-01-28 09:30 - 12:00 | WebEx Video Conferencing
Please join us for this year’s Clinic in a Box®, Navigating COVID-19 as an Employer. This Clinic will give you the opportunity to get advice from experienced attorneys about COVID-19 employment-related challenges.
Apply: Click here to fill out the application form. You will also be asked to provide a copy of your organization’s employee handbook, HR policy, code of conduct, leave policy, remote work policy, or similar policy. These documents will help the volunteers better tailor their advice to your specific situation.
Please note: Should your organization be selected for participation in the clinic, your executive director, board chair, or other senior staff or board member responsible for governing or managing your organization must be able to participate in the clinic.
This event is Co-sponsored by Corporate Pro Bono, Northeast ACC Chapter, Lawyers Clearinghouse, and Mintz.

Fellows Program Information Session (Virtual)
2021-02-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Sign up here. You will receive a video conferencing link the day of the event.
Are you retiring or winding down your legal practice? Would you like to learn more about the Access to Justice Fellows Program, which connects retired attorneys and judges with year-long pro bono opportunities assisting nonprofits, legal services organizations, and the courts? Join us for a Fellows Program Information Session to hear from a panel of past and continuing Fellows.
Panelists:
Rosemary Allen, 2013-2014 Fellow
John Bowman, 2015-2016 Fellow
Hon. Cynthia Cohen (ret.), 2017-2018 Fellow
Michael Felsen, 2018-2019 Fellow
Karen Quandt, 2018-2019 Fellow
Moderators:
Janet Donovan, Fellow, Lawyers Clearinghouse
Sue Finegan, Mintz, Co-Founder of the Fellows Program, Co-Chair of MA Access to Justice Commission
Susan Gedrick, Executive Director, Lawyers Clearinghouse
Martha Koster, Mintz, Co-Founder of the Fellows Program

Nonprofit Incorporation Workshop (Virtual)
2021-02-23 16:00 - 18:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here. You will receive a Zoom link upon sign up.
Payment: This program is free, with a suggested donation of $25. Click here to donate.
Are you a leader of an existing nonprofit organization or do you have an interest in creating a new one? Do you have questions and concerns about incorporating and/or filing for tax-exempt status? All nonprofit start-ups are invited to attend this legal seminar for nonprofits, led by experienced nonprofit attorneys. At this group session, we will assist your organization in understanding the complicated processes of formalizing a nonprofit in Massachusetts by addressing questions regarding:
For-Profit or Not-for-Profit?
What is a Not-for-Profit?
Incorporating & Structuring the Not-for-Profit
Option of Fiscal Sponsorship
State Reporting & Regulation
Federal Tax Exemption
Ongoing IRS Reporting & Regulation
Presenters: Sue Abbott, Goodwin; Russell Paul, Lawyers Clearinghouse
This pro bono workshop is a joint project of Goodwin Procter LLP, Arts & Business Council, TSNE MissionWorks, and Lawyers Clearinghouse.

Nonprofit Bylaws Consultation (Virtual)
2021-03-09 13:00 - 16:00 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Apply*: Click here. Zoom link provided upon approval.
*You will also be asked to provide a copy of your bylaws, if applicable. This will help the volunteers better tailor their advice to your organization.
Bylaws serve as the main governing document of your organization; the bedrock upon which its foundation rests. When bylaws are not carefully created and maintained in accordance with the best practices outlined in your Articles of Organization, cracks may start to appear in this foundation, hampering your work and taking away from your organization’s mission and resources.
Join us for a two-part training and consultation program on bylaws and corporate governance issue spotting. The 75-minute training will focus on the mechanics of the bylaws and give you practical tips for how to use these documents in your operation. The subsequent 90-minute consultation session will be staffed by lawyers from Goodwin. They will review your current bylaws or assist you in creating a new policy and make recommendations as necessary.
This is designed for any nonprofit looking to change, update, or create bylaws, from established longstanding nonprofits to those who have just incorporated and want to make sure they have legally-sound bylaws.

Philanthropic Strategies for Nonprofits (Virtual)
2021-03-16 09:00 - 10:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Join us on March 16 for Philanthropic Strategies and Raising Revenue for Nonprofits Post COVID-19: Endowment Management, Planned Giving and Commercial Co-Ventures
Register: Click here. You will receive a Zoom link upon sign-up.
Learn more about how nonprofits can handle fundraising during the COVID-19 pandemic and why charitable organizations should consider expanding their fundraising and mission reach.
This seminar will cover why now is an opportune time to launch formal annual and planned giving programs and how specific methods of giving are more attractive in light of the current low interest rates, historic trends of giving in turbulent times, and the SECURE Act and CARES Act. It will also cover why taking on the position of a thoughtful advisor is a successful strategy.
Presenter: Elizabeth Manchester, Counsel, Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP

Lobbying, Advocacy, and Political Activities for 501c3 Entities (Virtual)
2021-04-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here. You will receive a Zoom link upon sign up.

Many nonprofits are considering increasing their advocacy activities. It is critical for these nonprofits to review the rules of engagement in this area so as to remain in compliance with pertinent laws and regulations.
This seminar will give a general overview of basic federal tax and lobbying law for 501(c)(3) organizations, and discuss best practices including the following questions:

What is the difference between advocacy and lobbying?
When and how is it okay for a nonprofit to lobby and what happens if a nonprofit crosses the line?

Presenter: Teresa Santalucia, Klein Hornig

Nonprofit Incorporation Workshop (Virtual)
2021-05-04 16:00 - 18:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here. You will receive a Zoom link upon sign up.
At this group session, we’ll assist your organization in understanding the complicated processes of formalizing a nonprofit in Massachusetts by addressing questions regarding:

For-Profit or Not-for-Profit?
What is a Not-for-Profit?
Incorporating & Structuring the Not-for-Profit
Option of Fiscal Sponsorship
State Reporting & Regulation
Federal Tax Exemption
Ongoing IRS Reporting & Regulation

Presenters: Luke Blackadar, Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston; Alyssa Fitzgerald, Goodwin

Nonprofit Consultation: Governance and Operations
2021-05-11 15:00 - 16:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Apply: Click here. Please apply by Monday, April 12.
Do you have questions about nonprofit governance and operations? Join us for a free, virtual 90-minute consultation, where you will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with volunteer attorneys who can answer your questions about related topics, such as:
– Maintaining nonprofit status and annual filings
– Board of directors
– Intellectual property
– Employment law
– Bylaws and other governing documents
Please note: This consultation is intended for nonprofits that work with underserved communities.
This consultation is presented in partnership with the Boston Bar Association’s Tax Exempt Organizations Section.

Maintaining Nonprofit Status (Virtual)
2021-05-18 10:00 - 11:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here.
This workshop offers an overview of compliance requirements with various government agencies and practical tips for nascent nonprofits, including the IRS rules on fundraising and political activities.
Presenter: Brittany Besler, AAFCPAs

Intellectual Property Law Overview (Virtual)
2021-05-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here.
In this fast-evolving digital age, it is very easy to copy someone’s protected materials or fail to create safeguards to protect your intellectual property (IP). This workshop is designed to explain some of the basic concepts of intellectual property and the ways that nonprofits can protect their IP or potentially generate income from their IP.
Presenter: Alvin B. Carter III, Brown Rudnick LLP

Nonprofit Incorporation Workshop (Virtual)
2021-05-26 16:00 - 18:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here.
Payment: This program is free, with a suggested donation of $25.
At this group session, we’ll assist your organization in understanding the complicated processes of formalizing a nonprofit in Massachusetts by addressing questions regarding:
• For-Profit or Not-for-Profit?
• What is a Not-for-Profit?
• Incorporating & Structuring the Not-for-Profit
• Option of Fiscal Sponsorship
• State Reporting & Regulation
• Federal Tax Exemption
• Ongoing IRS Reporting & Regulation
Presenters: Luke Blackadar, Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston; Lisa McChesney, Goodwin
This pro bono workshop is a joint project of Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston, Goodwin, TSNE MissionWorks, and Lawyers Clearinghouse.

Community Development Through a Nonprofit Lens (Virtual)
2021-06-15 13:00 - 14:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here. Zoom link provided upon sign up.
In this 90-minute presentation, Professor Rashmi Dyal-Chand will discuss the role nonprofits can play within collaborative business networks, the focus of her book, Collaborative Capitalism in American Cities, which uses real-world examples to explore how nonprofits and businesses can successfully prioritize collaboration and inclusion to foster economic growth and stability.
Presenter: Rashmi Dyal-Chand, Professor, Northeastern University School of Law

Nonprofit Bylaws Workshop (Virtual)
2021-06-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Registration: Click here. Zoom link provided upon sign up.
The presentation will focus on the mechanics of bylaws and give you practical tips for how to use these documents in your operation.
This event will be recorded.
Note: This presentation is open to all interested nonprofits. Additionally, organizations that apply for the June 23 Bylaws Consultation may find it helpful to attend this presentation or view the recording to get a better sense of how bylaws function and to be able to ask more infomed questions at the consultation. However it is not mandatory to attend this workshop in order to join the consultation session.
Presenter: Russell Paul, Nonprofit Programs Manager, Lawyers Clearinghouse

Nonprofit Bylaws Consultation (Virtual)
2021-06-23 13:00 - 14:30 | Zoom Video Conferencing
Apply*: Click here. Zoom link provided upon approval.
*You will also be asked to provide a copy of your bylaws, if applicable. This will help the volunteers better tailor their advice to your organization.
Bylaws serve as the main governing document of your organization; the bedrock upon which its foundation rests. When bylaws are not carefully created and maintained in accordance with the best practices outlined in your Articles of Organization, cracks may start to appear in this foundation, hampering your work and taking away from your organization’s mission and resources.
Join us for a consultation program on nonprofit bylaws. This 90-minute consultation session will be staffed by lawyers from Weil. They will review your current bylaws or assist you in creating a new policy and make recommendations as necessary.
This is designed for any nonprofit looking to change, update, or create bylaws, from established longstanding nonprofits to those who have just incorporated and want to make sure they have legally-sound bylaws.
