Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and Intellectual Property Clinic

Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and Intellectual Property Clinic delivers legal advice and facilitates the delivery of professional business planning and intellectual property services to owners of small businesses – both existing and start-ups — who cannot afford the market rates for such services. UMKC faculty will supervise law students as they provide legal and professional services to qualified clients.

Services include:

  • Assistance in making a choice of entity
  • Entity creation by drafting articles of incorporation and organization, by-laws and partnership agreements
  • Contract review and drafting
  • Advice and assistance concerning debt problems
  • Review of lending contracts and loan advice
  • Tax advice, especially about the importance of faithful payment of payroll withholding trust amounts and the consequences of failure to pay them
  • Advice concerning compliance with consumer, licensing, and regulatory rules
  • Copyright and trademark creation
  • Incorporation, tax-exempt status [including 501(c)(3)] applications

Students

Students receive training and experience in working with small businesses, including application of the concepts learned in the Business Organizations, Federal Taxation, and intellectual property courses, as well as a range of other business law and intellectual property issues. In addition, students learn how to provide ethical and competence representation to individual business clients.

Clients

The clinic serves new and established entrepreneurs (Missouri or Kansas residents) who need assistance with legal services but who cannot afford the market rate for those services. To be placed on the waiting list of clients, you must complete and return the application to the Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic.

Start Online Application

The Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and Intellectual Property Clinic

Work Phone: 816-235-6341

Email: elsclinic@umkc.edu