Navigating law school becomes trickier after the first year. When you become a 2L, you’re able to chart your own path and select classes you want to take. It can be difficult to know which ones are best for you and will have the greatest impact on your success as an attorney. The most practical class I took, and the one that largely influenced my career, was being accepted into the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic at UC Law (ECDC).
ECDC, headed by Professor Sean Mangan, plays a vital role in strengthening our legal profession and our local economy. The clinic provides free and low-cost transactional legal services to small businesses, startups, nonprofits, and community-based organizations that might otherwise lack access to counsel. Under faculty supervision, law students work directly with real clients on matters such as entity formation, contracts, governance, and compliance. This allows students to gain hands-on, practical experience while also benefiting the greater Cincinnati community. As a student, I was able to assist with forming several LLCs, drafting website privacy policies, preparing mutual nondisclosure agreements (MNDAs), and even creating template vendor contracts, opportunities you typically would not experience inside a traditional classroom.
After graduation, Professor Mangan asked me to serve as a volunteer supervisor for the clinic. Attorney volunteers are essential to the clinic’s success. While faculty provide structure and oversight, practicing attorneys bring real-world insight that bridges the gap between classroom theory and everyday practice. Volunteers help students refine their drafting skills, think strategically about client counseling, and understand the professional judgment required in transactional law.
Volunteering with the ECDC Clinic also expands access to justice in an often-overlooked area, transactional law. Early-stage legal decisions can determine whether a small business or nonprofit thrives or struggles. By supporting the clinic, attorneys help ensure entrepreneurs and community organizations have a strong legal foundation from the start, strengthening economic opportunity across our region while reinforcing the profession’s commitment to service.
Without having taken ECDC, I would not have the career I have today. Being a student in the clinic gave me valuable experience that opened doors I had not previously considered. It gave me an edge in the job market and helped me establish my value early on within my company.
As members of the Cincinnati Bar Association, we share a collective responsibility to mentor the next generation and invest in institutions that sustain our profession. Volunteering with the UC Law ECDC Clinic is a meaningful, manageable way to give back, whether through document review, advising students, or sharing practical insights from your own practice. If you are interested in volunteering with ECDC, please reach out to Professor Sean Mangan at UC Law at mangansn@ucmail.uc.edu. Happy volunteering!