Clinic - Community Development

Clinic - Community Development Credits: 3.00 Faculty: David Reiss Brooklyn is going through a dramatic transformation. Industrial sites are adapting to rapid changes in the local and global economy and new residential and commercial projects are regularly springing up in many neighborhoods. The Community Development Clinic represents community organizations that wish to help shape the future of these neighborhoods. Students in the Clinic represent community development corporations, cultural institutions, affordable housing providers and small businesses that serve underrepresented communities. Typical activities for Clinic students include drafting business formation documents; assisting in the formation of joint ventures; negotiating the leasing, purchasing, financing and renovating of real estate; and drafting, analyzing and negotiating contracts. Students in the Clinic help these organizations develop, own and operate a range of service providers and facilities which may include housing for individuals with special needs cultural centers and recreational space. The Clinic's goal is to ensure that important, but smaller, voices are heard as Brooklyn communities are rethought, rezoned and redeveloped. Seminar Credits: 2.00 The seminar is designed to help students reflect on ethical considerations in a transactional practice; Reflect on concerns particular to entities operating in low-income and/or minority neighborhoods and appreciate goals and commitments of non-profit organizations working in those communities; Become familiar with resources for researching legal and practical problems concerning non-profit and for-profit clients; Reflect on clients' problems from various perspectives, such as tax, finance and accounting, and develop interdisciplinarily recommendations; Improve general lawyering skills, particularly clear writing, cogent analysis, negotiation and client counseling; and practice skills particular to transactional work and to the representation of organizations.

Enrollment Notes:
The clinic enrolls students each semester.