Build a Socially Conscious Law Practice With the CBF

Do you want to develop the skills necessary to build a successful law practice? Are you interested in making a positive impact on your community as a social entrepreneur? If the answer is yes, then consider applying to the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Justice Entrepreneurs Project.

What is the Justice Entrepreneurs Project?

The Justice Entrepreneurs Project is a small business incubator that helps lawyers start innovative, socially conscious law practices serving low-and middle-income Chicagoans. The program draws on the principles of entrepreneurship and experimentation common in the tech startup community to develop disruptive, market-based models to improve access to legal services.

Since its creation, the Justice Entrepreneurs Project has helped more than 50 attorneys build sustainable businesses serving this market. In the past year alone, attorneys from the Justice Entrepreneurs Project have helped over 3,700 low- to middle-income clients while bringing in over $5.24 million in revenue.

Application Details

Entrepreneurial and social justice-minded applicants in the Chicago area are encouraged to apply for the Justice Entrepreneurs Project’s summer 2021 program (starting June 7, 2021).

Over the course of the 18-month program, participants will receive top-notch training, mentorship, subsidized resources and space, and a network of like-minded individuals to kick start a legal practice targeted at the underserved middle market of legal consumers.

To learn how you can participate, visit the CBF’s website or register for a virtual information session at one of the following times:

• Monday, March 29, 2021, from 12 – 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 30, 2021, from 5 – 6 p.m.

For more information, contact Jessica Bednarz, Director of Innovation & the JEP, at jbednarz@chicagobarfoundation.org. Applications are due no later than Friday, April 9, 2021.

Staying up to date on issues impacting the legal profession is vital to your success. Subscribe here to get the Commission’s weekly news delivered to your inbox.