Entrepreneurship Law and Policy Clinic

Email: eshipclinic@nd.edu

Director: Anne Choike

The Entrepreneurship Law & Policy Clinic (ELPC) empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners in the South Bend, Michiana, and Notre Dame campus and alumni communities to create economic opportunity, pursue meaningful purpose, and build ventures that reflect their core values. Our mission is to compassionately provide high quality, holistic transactional legal services (1) to uplift economically marginalized entrepreneurs who form, operate and scale for-profit and/or revenue generating ventures and (2) train upper-level law students who unite the practice of transactional law with the pursuit of human flourishing and solidarity.

Information for entrepreneurs and small businesses in need of legal services

We serve aspiring and established entrepreneurs and small businesses with limited access to transactional legal services. Our legal services are free, provided by upper-level law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys, and include assistance with:

  • choosing one or more appropriate entities to conduct, scale and finance your business;

  • establishing entity governance, compliance and risk management;

  • drafting contracts;

  • providing guidance on your entity’s workers, including interns, employees, and independent contractors; and

  • protecting your business interests such as trade secrets and unregistered intellectual property.

The ELPC provides broad support in these legal areas through direct representation, legal workshops, office hours, and policy advocacy.

If you are interested in obtaining legal advice and representation by the ELPC on a specific matter, please submit an application using our Application for Legal Services Form. If you are interested in obtaining legal information for 1-2 questions on a specific topic, please request to register for the ELPC’s next office hours using this Request for Brief Office Hours Form. If you would like a paper copy or PDF version of any of these forms, or if you otherwise need assistance completing them, please contact the Clinic at eshipclinic@nd.edu or (574) 631-7795.

Information for Students

Learn more about the course here.

News from the Entrepreneurship Law & Policy Clinic

Notre Dame Law School Welcomes New Faculty Members for 2026–27 Academic Year