Bay Area Legal Services (BALS) implemented the Community Counsel project in 1993 to deliver legal services to community-based non-profit organizations that serve the low-income community in the Tampa Bay area on the west coast of Florida. Community Counsel uses pro bono business attorneys to provide free legal assistance to established non-profits with business and legal needs in corporate, tax, real estate, employment, zoning, land use and insurance matters. Start-up organizations are served by the program's one staff attorney. Through this program, BALS seeks to enhance the capabilities of community and faith-based non-profits to serve Tampa Bay's low-income community. Applicants for services from Community Counsel are screened to ensure they directly serve Tampa Bay's low-income community and they lack the financial resources to pay a private attorney for the desired assistance. Interested non-profit organizations apply for assistance in completing a specific legal task not for general assistance or litigation needs.
The BALS staff attorney also offers community legal education clinics to less established organizations on topics such as "So You Want to Start a Nonprofit?" and "How to Complete Your IRS 501c(3) Application to obtain Tax-Exempt Status." To learn more about this project, visit Bay Area Legal Services website at: http://www.bals.org/ under "Our Services", then "Special Projects."
Contact Information:
Marilyn Kershner Judge Don Castor Community Law Center Bay Area Legal Services Riverbrook Center, 2nd Floor 829 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Tampa, FL 33603 Phone: (813) 232-1222, ext. 116 Fax: (813) 232-1403 mkershner@bals.org
LSC:
America's Partner for Equal Justice 