CBA Record September-October 2026

PRO BONO WEEK 2026 – A MORE PERFECT JUSTICE SYSTEM

Melissa Picciola and attendees at a Small Business Expo.

personal assets and position a company for growth. A carefully drafted contract can pre vent misunderstandings that could jeopardize important business relationships. Trade mark guidance can help entrepreneurs protect brands they have spent years building. Helping Entrepreneurs Turn Vision into Reality These transactional legal services can have a profound impact. By addressing issues pro actively, attorneys help entrepreneurs avoid costly problems and build stronger founda tions for future growth. In many cases, a limited legal intervention can have an outsized effect. Consider a situation where a volunteer attorney may spend a few hours advising a client on gover nance documents or reviewing a commercial contract, but that assistance can provide clarity and confidence during a pivotal stage of business development. For entrepreneurs operating with limited resources, access to legal counsel can be the difference between moving forward and remaining stuck. Transactional work can go beyond contracts for customers or service providers. Last year, LANE worked with an entrepreneur whose goal was to expand access to affordable housing. His business model focused on acquiring and rehabilitating multi-unit residential properties for low-income tenants. As he prepared to purchase his first building, he needed outside investment to support growth but wanted to ensure that his corporate structure would allow him to attract investors without compromising his long-term vision. LANE matched him with a volunteer attorney from Chapman and Cutler with exper tise in corporate structuring and securities matters. Together, they evaluated and restruc tured the business entity to better align with investor expectations while protecting the founder’s strategic interests. As a result, the entrepreneur was positioned to raise capital responsibly and scale his business sustainably. Becoming a Trusted Partner Transactional pro bono work is also distinctive because of the nature of the attorney client relationship it creates. When entrepreneurs seek legal assistance, they are often not responding to a single

crisis or dispute. Instead, they are navi gating a period of opportunity, uncer tainty, and growth. They are making decisions that will shape the future of a business they have invested significant time, money, and emotional energy into creating. As a result, transactional attorneys frequently become more than legal advisors. They become trusted thought partners. They help clients think stra tegically about risk. They ask ques tions that entrepreneurs may not have considered. They provide practical guidance that allows business owners to move forward with greater confidence. For many volunteers, this partnership can be especially rewarding. Attorneys can witness the evolution of a business over time and see the tangible impact of their guidance. The work often feels deeply collaborative because both attorney and client are working toward the same goal: helping an entrepreneur succeed. While every legal matter presents its

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