Public Service Legal Fellow (Equal Justice Works)

Start Small Think Big, Inc. (“Start Small”) seeks applications by August 12, 2021 for a fellow candidate to apply for a paid two-year Equal Justice Works (“EJW”) sponsorship, which will be based in our Bay Area offices (either Oakland or San Jose), starting in the Fall of 2022. Using elements of prior Start Small – EJW fellow’s projects as models, we seek a potential fellow interested in developing a program based on a topic of their own interest relevant to any legal issue facing small businesses, or focused on potential topics such as increasing access to opening and maintaining small businesses in the cannabis space throughout the State of California (with the potential to partner with leading Bay Area cities); establishing a self-education module and portal for small business owners in the areas of online and social media presence or employment and labor for micro businesses; or research on the impact of AB 5 on small businesses with the goal of having a practical impact on policy and legislation.

About us:

 Start Small Think Big is a non-profit on a mission to catalyze entrepreneurship in marginalized communities. Founded 10 years ago in New York City, we have successfully expanded our work to San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. We are now in the midst of another period of rapid growth and expansion, as we work to replicate our model nationally and grow existing programs to serve larger numbers of entrepreneurs. As we scale our work, we are engaging in an intentional process to identify, understand, and address bias at all levels and advance equity, especially racial equity, from the inside out.

Through our Finance, Legal, and Marketing programs, Start Small Think Big is connecting small business owners from marginalized communities to high-quality expertise needed to transform their business, build wealth for themselves and their families, and support their communities with job creation. In 2020, Start Small supported 3500 businesses across our three tiers of programming. In 2021, we are working to build the infrastructure and programming to scale to serve tens of thousands of businesses nationwide.

Start Small is supported by leading corporations:

•  Partnered with the majority of the top 100 U.S. law firms, including Simpson Thacher, Weil Gotshal, Cleary Gottlieb, Debevoise & Plimpton.
• Partnered with the largest and most well-respected financial institutions and corporations, including American Express, Morgan Stanley, Google, and Goldman Sachs. 
•  Secured significant support for our work from some of the largest and most forward-thinking foundations in the space, including eBay, JPMorgan Chase, Citi.

About the role:

The Legal Program works to connect entrepreneurs in need of legal assistance (e.g. legal entity selection and formation, corporate governance, contract review and drafting, commercial lease review and negotiation, employment, tax, intellectual property, and relevant city and state regulations/licensing and permitting requirements) to appropriate high-quality counsel, by using our extensive network of volunteer attorneys from New York City and Bay Area law firms. In addition, the Legal Program facilitates regular workshops and seminars for the community on legal issues most commonly faced by early-stage entrepreneurs.

What you'll do:

Start Small is seeking a candidate to apply for the Design-Your-Own-Fellowship through EJW. Start Small is open to discussing a range of possible project topics based on the candidate’s interests within the scope of Start Small’s areas of legal assistance and in alignment with our organizational values, especially equity and inclusion. Potential areas of project topics include increasing access to opening and maintaining small businesses in the cannabis space throughout the State of California (with the potential to partner with leading Bay Area cities); establishing a self-education module and portal for small business owners in the areas of online and social media presence or employment and labor for micro businesses; and research on the equity impact of AB 5 on under-resourced small business owners, with the goal of impacting policy and legislation. Notwithstanding these suggested areas, candidates are welcomed to approach Start Small with any topic of their own choosing, especially any topic focusing on addressing disproportionate racial impacts regarding access and outcomes in the legal arena.

In addition to devising and implementing their primary project innovating a service delivery mechanism and/or opening a new access point to clients in one of the fields above or a similar field, the Legal Fellow will, when possible or in line with their project, interview and advise clients; draft legal and factual client memoranda; help develop and present legal education workshops and trainings; research legal issues; prepare client and volunteer resource materials; engage in client outreach; build and maintain partnerships with local community based organizations; engage with volunteer attorneys and pro bono coordinators at partner law firms; and design and implement new areas of small business legal programming to improve the client experience from the equity perspective. The position reports directly to the Associate Director, Legal Program.

About you:

• Recent law graduate or incoming 3^rd year JD candidate, who is prepared to work with Start Small to submit applications for sponsorship to Equal Justice Works fellowship programs, along with any other available funding sources, and is available to begin a post-graduate fellowship in Fall 2022;
• A demonstrated understanding of the role of structural racism and other biases in our society and a strong commitment to address these impacts within the context of this role
•  Commitment to inclusive community/economic development, social and economic justice work, and/or anti-poverty work;
• A deep commitment to providing non-judgmental, culturally-appropriate services across race, class, gender, gender identity and expression, national origin, ability, or any other identity marker with a strong sense of accountability to fostering a positive client experience
• Strong relationship-building and communication, including the ability to work effectively across cultural differences and a demonstrated commitment to ongoing learning and reflection on one’s personal identity,
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to effectively communicate with entrepreneurs, diverse stakeholders, volunteers and colleagues, while always maintaining a client-oriented approach. Experience working in cross-cultural environments is a plus.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, time management, and interpersonal skills;
• Highly organized, creative and self-motivated; a strong problem-solver, critical thinker, and collaborator;
•  Bilingual (English/Spanish) or professional Spanish proficiency welcomed.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample to legal@startsmallthinkbig.org (include subject line: “EJW Legal Fellow – Fall 2022) by August 12, 2021.