Business and Community Law Clinic strengthens Detroit

From family-owned restaurants and shops to startups and grassroots nonprofits, small businesses help power Detroit's economy and strengthen its neighborhoods. For nearly 20 years, Wayne State University Law School's Business and Community Law Clinic (BCLC) has worked alongside those ventures, providing legal services while training future attorneys through hands-on community engagement.

"Small business is so much more than commerce - it is community," said Maya Watson, director of the clinic and assistant professor of law at WSU. "Our students help those ventures understand the law, but they also help sustain the very fabric of Detroit's neighborhoods."

Among Wayne Law's clinical offerings, the BCLC is the only clinic dedicated to business and nonprofit legal services. Second- and third-year law students work directly with clients on matters ranging from entity formation and corporate governance to contracts, intellectual property and regulatory compliance. Each student commits at least 270 hours per semester to clinic work. Since 2023, the clinic has assisted more than 50 organizations.

Clients span industries and stages of development - from entrepreneurs forming their first legal entity to established small businesses navigating zoning issues, lease negotiations, employment agreements and nondisclosure contracts. What unites them, Watson said, is a commitment to community impact.

"This social impact lens drives everything, and it's a key factor in how the clinic selects partners," she said. "Whether they're employing local youth, offering financial literacy programs, supporting neighborhood events or giving back through time and resources, every client we assist is helping build up Detroit."

Expanded impact and new partnerships

Launched in 2007, the BCLC was created to help address long-standing economic inequities in Detroit. Over the years, it has adapted to shifting economic conditions, including the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, while deepening relationships across the city.

In the past year, the clinic strengthened its partnership with SCORE Southeast Michigan, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration that provides free mentorship and educational resources to entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders.

Through the collaboration, law students now present 90-minute community workshops on legal topics such as entity formation, liability, compliance and taxation. The sessions extend the clinic's reach beyond individual client representation, equipping more small business owners and nonprofit leaders with foundational legal knowledge. In return, SCORE connects students with experienced mentors who offer practical insights into business development and operations.

"We appreciate this partnership with Wayne State so much," said Kenya Wiedemann, SCORE's community engagement and technology coordinator. "Maya and the clinic have been shining stars for Detroit, helping us support small business owners who may otherwise not have access to these resources."

The clinic has also seen a shift in how clients find its services. While early clients often discovered the clinic through online searches, most new clients now come through referrals from past clients and trusted community partners, including TechTown, ProsperUs Detroit, Co.act Detroit and Michigan Community Resources.

"That tells us the community not only knows about us - but trusts us," Watson said. "Our clients are increasingly savvy, already connected to other resources and coming to us with more complex legal needs."

The clinic also collaborates across campus. A cross-disciplinary partnership, launched in 2023, brings together law students with peers from the Mike Ilitch School of Business and the School of Social Work to provide more holistic support. The initiative, expected to relaunch this fall, pairs legal guidance with strategic planning, growth consulting and connections to community resources and funding opportunities.

A win for students - and the city

While the clinic strengthens Detroit's small businesses and nonprofits, it also serves as a training ground for future attorneys. Students gain experience managing real clients and navigating high-stakes legal matters, all under faculty supervision. They learn to translate complex legal concepts into plain language, balance competing priorities and adapt as client needs evolve.

"Our goal is to build students' confidence and competence so that by the time they graduate, they're as close to practice-ready as possible," Watson said. "It's a lot of hard work, but it reflects what the profession truly demands."

For clients, the clinic represents more than short-term legal assistance. It offers a long-term partner invested in their stability and growth - and in the broader health of Detroit's neighborhoods.

"Small businesses are really the story and the beauty of this country," Watson said. "It's not just about the business owner - it's about their families, their communities and the values built around that business. That's more than worth supporting and investing in."