Clinic students work both with new and mature organizations, interviewing members about their goals and plans, counseling them about the corporate and tax alternatives, helping them to create the appropriate legal structures, and educating them about complying with the obligations of the legal structure they have chosen. Typical clients are groups developing education and employment programs for disadvantaged youth, human rights organizations, groups developing housing for the homeless, community development organizations, and dance and theatre companies. In the coming year, the NPOC plans to expand its reach to take on small businesses operating in upper Manhattan's new economic empowerment zone. This clinic is about planning. The work is centered on clients' hopes and aspirations, rather than on disputes that occurred in the past.
Students have to learn to anticipate issues and problems.
They need to deal with the conflicts that can arise among members of a group. They have to be educators, teaching clients about what's involved in operating a tax-exempt organization. Intensive videotaped simulations help prepare students for their work with clients. They have to integrate an understanding of the law with lawyering skills. They have to think about ways to engage clients and make them comfortable.