Touro Law Receives $475,000 Community Funding Grant to Support Small Business Legal Assistance Clinic

Dean Elena B. Langan is pleased to announce that Touro Law received federal funding in the amount of $475,000 to create a new Small Business Legal Assistance Clinic that will offer free legal services to minority and women-owned small business on Long Island. The grant was endorsed by Congressman Andrew Garbarino, who serves on the House Small Business Committee and has historically supported small businesses as he believes they are the backbone of the economy and livelihood for so many Long Islanders.

“This grant will enable us to fund a new clinic that will provide legal support for underserved minority and women-owned small business in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties,” stated Dean Langan. “We plan to support the incubation, development and success of these businesses through critical legal assistance, access to resources, network building and educational programming. Our community has a great need for this type of legal clinic, and we are proud to be able to develop the clinic through this funding. We are grateful recipients of this grant and want to thank Congressman Andrew Garbarino for his endorsement.”

Touro Law’s clinical program provides opportunities for students to provide representation to actual clients with real legal problems, working under the supervision of faculty who are licensed to practice law in New York State. The work is done at no charge, providing both valuable experience for students to hone their legal skills while serving community needs. This grant will enable Touro Law to establish the clinic and provide students with unique training opportunities in business law. Touro intends to partner with local agencies for referrals and proposed educational programs including the Long Island Association, the Small Business Development Center at Farmingdale State College, and others. Currently, Touro Law offers more than a dozen clinics to train students and benefit community members in need in areas including veterans' and servicemembers' rights, mortgage foreclosure and bankruptcy, senior citizen law, education and youth law, immigration law, and more.

“An effort like this is tremendous and goes a long way to help small business owners who have real needs and may not have the resources to get the assistance they need to be successful,” stated Congressman Garbarino. “The establishment of this clinic and planned collaboration with local agencies to assist and educate the small business community is the exact kind of project that the Community Project Funding is intended for. I am proud to be a part of this project and look forward to the impact it will have on the local community and for the law students involved.”

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Patti Desrochers

Director of Communications

pattid@tourolaw.edu

(631) 761-7062