Written by: Gloria Kosir

The University of Iowa College of Law launched a new clinic this fall that supports Iowa’s nonprofit sector. Housed in the Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center (LAWINRC), the Nonprofit Structure and Strategy Clinic (NSSC) acts as its own law firm and provides a range of transactional legal services to nonprofit organizations.

Working in teams, students in the NSSC handle issues related to nonprofit formation and governance, ongoing transactional research, community education workshops, advocacy best practices for 501(c)(3)s, and more. 

Under the supervision of an attorney, students interview and counsel clients, draft legal documents, and conduct board presentations, developing skills that can be applied across legal practice areas.

For 3L Jacob Murphy and other students in the clinic, the NSSC also brings an opportunity to make a difference by providing support to local organizations. 

“I went to law school so I could have an impact on the world,” Murphy said. “The Nonprofit Structure and Strategy Clinic has given me the opportunity to have an impact by helping real people who are making the world—and Iowa specifically—a better place.” 

The NSSC is directed by June Tai, clinical professor, Ferguson Carlson Fellow, and director of the Field Placement Program. Other clinic members include Dave Bright, associate director of both NSSC and LAWINRC; and Brenda Steinmetz, administrative services coordinator. Paul Thelen, director of LAWINRC, also is contributing to the clinic with expertise in building the pre-clinic educational programming and seminar instruction. 

“Much of lawyering is based on professional judgment and habits that lawyers develop over time, through observation and close work with practicing attorneys,” Tai said. “Over the past ten years at Iowa Law, I’ve taught various experiential courses such as the field placement class, contract drafting, and dispute resolution. I’m excited to put it all together so that students can learn to think like a transactional attorney and provide clients with proactive and preventative legal advice.”

The clinic is a 6-credit course available to 2L and 3L students. In addition to working on client matters, students attend a weekly 2-hour seminar and a separate supervision meeting. Students can apply through the clinic registration process each semester. 

“Experienced nonprofit legal counsel is in high demand,” Thelen said. “Through the Clinic, students can provide valuable legal services to new, emerging, and established nonprofit organizations while developing the knowledge and experience needed to become effective counsel to the sector themselves. In that sense, the Clinic has the opportunity to meet important needs today while also building the nonprofit legal expertise for the future.” 

The clinic’s capacity for clients is limited as all eight students own a few matters each semester. For a detailed description of the types of clients and legal issues the NSSC takes on, please visit the clinic webpage.